My Immortal
by antares.78
Summary: House disappears after being dumped by Cuddy. What if he decides to find himself before coming back to regain the most important person in his life? A conference in Seattle at the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital will force them together but when they'll come back to PPTH a hidden secret will change their lives ...forever. A bit OOC but very Huddy! COMPLETE
1. Alone

**[DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters but I love them much more than the people who, actually, made them. This story has been turning in my mind for years. I never shared David Shore's insane decision of breaking Huddy fan's heart. I watched all the episodes of House MD many times but just until "Bombshells". For me** _ **that**_ **is the last episode of my favorite series. So I decided to rewrite season 7 finale in Huddy style. I had my inspiration listening the song My Immortal by Evanescence so...here we are...]  
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 **[NOTE: I'm Italian. My English is not so good but I'll try to do my best. Unfortunately I realized that reading in English is much easier than writing in English...]  
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 **This is my version of what happened after those House's words in Bombshells...** _ **"don't, don't...please...don't"**_ **and Cuddy's** _ **"Goodbye House"  
**_

* * *

She was alone, in her bedroom, in the dark.

As usual her day had been very busy and she was exhausted, but she kept turning over in her bed tormented by restless dreams .

And then she saw him ... on the edge of that balcony looking down ... the empty look of someone who took too much Vicodin, a desperate look, the look of someone who has nothing to lose anymore, nothing to live for.

"Don't, don't... please...don't" she cried out

He looked up just a moment as seeing her, as feeling her, but again he looked down and in a sort of slow motion he let him falling down...

" Don't! ..."

She suddenly woke up in a cold sweat, and slowly her dark bedroom resumed its form. She could recognize the shadow of her wardrobe, of her window, the ceiling... all was noiseless and in the darkness. She was in her bed and that was just another nightmare. Now restless dreams and nightmares kept her company every night _since that night_...

She acted on impulse that night... she didn't let him reply or explain. She had always given him another possibilty. 832 _possibilities_ he said once...but this time she had said _no_ , _no_ to another possibilitiy, _no_ to another excuse, _no_ to another lie. She was tired, scared, stressed out by what she had passed, and she had felt alone ... so alone ... when it was supposed to have a shoulder to cry on, his hand holding her hand .

It had been two weeks since that night but that scene was still back in hers mind like a movie at any time of the day, a hundred of times, especially when she was alone.

 _Play...rewind...play...rewind...again, again and again..._

 _"Don't, don't...please..don't."_ these were his last words and _"goodbye House"_ hers.

Then nothing.

She had thought that she would have seen him the next day at work, or the day after ...instead she has not heard from him since that night...two weeks ago.

The day after that night House had communicated to the Office of Human Resources a period of absence. Nothing else. No news, no sign.

He seemed to have disappeared into thin air, and Cuddy's mind was now tormented by dark thoughts .

In her moments of rationality she repeated to herself that someone with suicidal thoughts doesn't inform the H&R Office of his absence... but _that_ thought tormented her anyway.

She felt the weight of her remorse for the hard and unexpected reaction of that night ... but she never would have imagined that outcome. She was expecting reprisal, revenge, bad jokes, insults ... she was expecting him meeting hoohers, him leading them to his office just to make her angry, she was even expecting him to marry a hooker in front of her in a cruel game of power, but ... not his disappearance...without a trace, without a word, without a message... of course ...maybe not to her but at least to Wilson.

This could mean only one thing ... that something very bad had happened. His addiction, his tendency to depression and isolation, his difficulty to face the problems and the fact that in the past he had been close to death ... all this made her thinking of a single thing... but she didn't even dare to pronounce that word that was turning and turning in her mind ... _suicide_ ...

She tried to remove that thought. She ran a hand over her face closing her eyes and then opening them again how to wake up again, but her heart was still pounding in her chest as near to exploding. She couldn't erase that horrible image from her mind... _House falling down in the dark..._

She got up and the contact of her bare feet with the floor sent a shiver down her spine. The fresh air of that early May night came through the open window. She was wearing just a white satin camisole and culottes .

She slowly walked in the dark room without turning the light on and went down the hallway to Rachel's bedroom.

Rachel was peacefully asleep in her bed with a little smile on her pretty face, probably lost in a beautiful dream. Cuddy stopped to look at her and stroked her forehead.

Rachel was missing House too, and although he had never acknowledged of loving her and wanting to be a sort of _father_ to her, their relationship was special. There always had been a special _feeling_ between them. She had told her that House was not too well and that was the reason why he wasn't coming to see her anymore... she seemed not to need other answers...after all she was only a three-years-old. But she missed him and sometimes she played pretending that he was there with her.

Cuddy curled up in Rachel's bed near her baby girl. She hugged her and listened to her quiet breathing slowly falling asleep.


	2. Without him

_The day after - late afternoon - Cuddy's office_

* * *

She was trying to concentrate on that document that had been on her desk for days and was waiting for being presented at the Meeting of the Board of Directors, but the words were blurred e she felt like she was reading and rereading the same sentence without being able to move forward.

Under the double layer of foundation cream her eyes were swollen and red for the many tears and sleepless nights.

To foreign eyes she was always the impeccable and charming Administrator of the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, actually makeup could work wonders, but some signs couldn't instead go unnoticed at friend's eyes.

She heard her office door opening but didn't look up, as if she feared that he could read her thoughts just watching in her eyes.

"You should eat something, Lisa. You're losing weight ..." Wilson said with a worried face.

She didn't answer.

"And you should also take the sleeping pills that I prescribed. You can't go on like this. You need to sleep or you're going to get sick. ... And Rachel needs you ..."

"I know - she answered lowering her eyes - but I can't help it ..."

In front of her employees she was a strong woman, determined, of power, but here, now, in her office, she felt like the most fragile person in the world. She tried to send away the tears, but when she looked up meeting her friend's eyes tears began to fall down her cheeks and she couldn't do anything to stop them.

"... I can't ...sleep, ...eat...I can hardly... breathe ... I'm going insane... I'm really going insane ... and I can't forget your words, James ..."

"Lise, I..."

"Don't James... you were right, once again, you were right... "she paused

"I was so blinded by my needs that I couldn't realize how much I was being _selfish_. I've been as selfish as him. It's just that... I thought I was going to die and I was alone. I just wanted him to hug me, I wanted him to keep my hand to face my destiny... but I only thought to my needs. At that moment I didn't think to him, I didn't think that I was for him a point of reference and that our love was what made him go on. I should have imagined that he felt the world fall around him at the thought of losing me and that he could not get up by himself. "

She paused again, inhaling deeply before speaking again.

" _He chose me_ rather than Vicodin after that night in Trenton ... how could I have been so stupid ... I knew his addiction and ... God ... I'm a doctor ... I know that even after many years from rehab there is a risk of relapse... "

"Lisa please, don't do this to yourself ..."

But she still didn't let him talk. She shook her head and put her hands on her watery eyes. Her voice was trembling.

"He came, at last, to hold my hand in that hospital bed ... and again... he made his choice between being with me or relapsing after almost two years of abstinence from Vicodin ... _he chose me_ , James. I wished he could have been with me and stay without Vicodin too, but that would be ... well, a perfect world. I should have realized that it was a too much big emotional burden... I saw weakness in that gesture and instead I should have seen... _love_. I shouldn't have reacted so impulsively ... "

She look up staring at him.

"James, I'm glad you opened my eyes about this ... your words opened my eyes ... I wish you had done that before ..."

She paused for breath and immediately resumed

"House has always been a mess, a childish grown-up with difficulty to human relationships and I ... I know that I need to have beside a man I can trust in, someone I can count on, but I ... _I need him_. I ... I wanted our relationship to be an adult relationship, but I was so blinded by my fears and by my selfishness to forget which the basis of an adult relationship is. Support each other... being there for each other...always ... I just would to go back to that night and do what we both should have done so many times ... _talk_ ... _just talk_ ... "

She couldn't go further because the words died away in her throat choked with sobs and tears.

"Ok" Wilson said approaching her and taking her hand forcing her to stand up "That's enough. I'll walk you home, you need some rest."

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 **[NOTE: Please leave your review. I'm sorry for my translation errors... Thank you so much for reading!]**


	3. Alive

_A week later - Cuddy's house - 10.40 p.m._

* * *

The lorazepam prescribed by Wilson was helping her.

She still had trouble eating, as if she always had a lump in her throat, but at least she could sleep at night and this allowed her to face the day. At home she tried to smile, for Rachel. At work she was able to be a good actress wearing her mask of the perfect administrator and she was able to not lose control in front of her employees.

 _"He took a leave of absence"_ she repeated with fake calm to those who asked her something about House.

She didn't give to see to anyone the terrible emptiness inside her.

She had put Chase in charge of the team until House's return, despite of Foreman's disappointment.

She believed that that was the best choice. She didn't need another narcissist heading the team. Foreman was a brilliant neurologist but she didn't want to have to fight with his exhibitionism and sarcasm. Thirteen had returned and she and Foreman were back together. Cuddy didn't want to assist to another fight for power. She knew very well what role those fights had played in her own love story with House. Foreman was a kind of mini-House... same defects but not the same genius. Chase was doing well and had proved of being a good leader in the last three weeks. No one could match House's intuition, but the team was doing well. After all, seven years with _the master_ had borne fruit. Chase was less unscrupulous than House, less instinctive, but certainly he was more attentive to the patient's needs. And more, Chase's diagnostic choices were usually less risky and therefore the team rarely required her permission, and so rarely her attention.

That evening Cuddy had returned home early. Marina had made her find a homemade dinner and she and Rachel had had dinner listening to some good music. She had played with Rachel sitting on the carpet of her room. Rachel had insisted on playing with her colored rings.

"Don't Mommy! Howse says that this goes here not there..." she had told her.

Rachel inserted the orange ring on the stick, before pausing thoughtfully and adding "Tell him to get well soon so he can come to play with me again."

She looked at her with those big blue eyes. Those words made her feel a pang in the heart, but she smiled and replied "Of course, honey."

She put Rachel to bed with a kiss and then wore her pajamas and prepared a cup of herbal tea.

That orange bottle in her hand reminded her inexorably of House. She shook off that thought and swallowed a pill of that anxiolytic drug. She could almost begin to understand the calmness that comes shallowing a pill that you know will make you feel better and will blur your mind.

Sitting in her chair, wrapped in her robe, she slowly sipped the hot liquid trying to relax and preparing herself for that sleep without dreams given by the drug.

Someone knocked on the door.

Her heart gave a leap. She put the cup on the table and hurried to open the door.

 _Wilson._

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest as she leaned against the door for support.

"I know it's late, but I couldn't just phone..." Wilson said lowering his voice. He didn't want to wake Rachel.

Cuddy's face became pale and her voice was just a whisper. "House...? What happened?"

But a large smile appeared on Wilson's face. She saw ... _relief_ ... in her friend's eyes "He's fine. He... he's alive!"

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 **[NOTE: Please leave your review. Thank you so much for reading!]**


	4. Always the same House

And so...House was back.

Wilson had not been able to give her many answers. She only knew that House had called and asked Wilson to pick him up at the Airport.

That morning Cuddy saw him entering the hospital front door, like nothing had happened, like he had exited from that same door just the night before. Apparently the same House.

She didn't even expect him coming to work the same day of his return, almost directly back from the airport.

But here he was.

He was walking through the door smiling and joking with Wilson, a cup of coffee in his left hand, the usual rumpled shirt ... yes, the usual House.

He had hoped to go unnoticed, but he couldn't avoid to see her.

She was there, signing some documents at the nurses' counter. She had just looked up to talk to Nurse Brenda when she saw him entering with Wilson. Their eyes met. In her eyes he could read relief mixed with astonishment and unanswered questions... his eyes were inscrutable as usual but she can't see anger or resentment, perhaps only a veiled pain.

"Good morning" he said approaching her.

She hesitated... then she could just said "Good morning".

They stood there looking at each other trying to find the right words, then, when she was about opening her mouth to speak, he talked.

"Uhm ... ok ... I have to go ... Work...backlog. ... I'll be in my office if you ... need anything." and he headed for the elevator.

She watched his slightly limp toward the elevator. His limp seemed less pronounced, different, but maybe it was just her impression. She hadn't seen him for three weeks and those had been three not at all easy weeks to deal with.

His words had been firm, a bit cold, but not rude. He could have thrown one of his sarcastic jokes or one of his sharp comments, and instead he had been strangely ... polite. She didn't know whether to consider this a good sign ... or a bad one ...

Wilson glanced at her as he followed House toward the elevator. A look that said _"It's all right... see you later."_

* * *

House hesitated before entering the differential room where his team was arguing a case.

They sat around the table and were listening to Chase.

Cuddy had warned them about House's return in Princeton, but she couldn't have given them other news or saying when he would come back as head of the team. House inexorably was their leader...that was never gonna change.

"I hope you're not too accustomed to your scepter of power" he said entering and pointing his cane toward Chase with his usual mocking tone "As the saying goes, _when the cat's away the mice will play_ ". A veiled smile seemed to appear on his lips as he approached to take a chair and sat stretching his legs on the table.

The team watched the scene for a moment, looking him like a _ghost._

Seeing House after three weeks was strange... seeing him so apparently ... healthy... left them speechless.

"Wow... three weeks on the west coast made you better than I thought" Foreman said.

"The show must go on" he said back before adding "So what have we got?".

With a quick move he took the folder from Taub's hands and began to read it.

Yes, he looks the same House.


	5. Start all over again

**[This is my version of a very introspective House. I hope you'll like it.]**

* * *

 _No Vicodin._

This was immediately noticed by his team in the following days.

Not only they didn't see him swallow his pills, but they even could see his bright and attentive eyes and this made them difficult to suspect that he was secretly continuing to use it.

They knew he hadn't used Vicodin for almost two years, but they had expected that his break-up with Cuddy had brought him back to his addiction.

Nobody knew if he had replaced Vicodin with another _magical drug_ , but actually also his attitude at work had changed.

He kept to avoid human relationship with his patients as much as he could, but he was less indifferent. He was punctual at work every morning, he was regular in his Clinic duty, he didn't spend anymore a lot of hours hidden in the morgue to play video games or in coma patients' room watching TV. Furthermore since his return to PPTH he went out for lunch, preferring not to have lunch at the hospital bar. Wilson thought that this was probably part of his plan to avoid Cuddy. He had preferred to leave his friend calm after his return so he had decided not to bother him with his annoying questions. Probably the Head of Diagnostics' new philosophy was that his good behavior should have kept Cuddy away from him.

He looked healthy, he looked like a surreal candidate at the "employee of the year" award, but yet this new version of House concerned both Wilson and Cuddy.

* * *

" Spill the beans, House" Wilson began entering his friend's office.

"What?" House said looking up over his glasses from the article of the Medical Journal of Cardiology that he was reading.

"You came back two weeks ago and you are still acting as anything had happened. I left you alone, I left you your space, but I thought that sooner or later you would have ... I don't know...vented? ...confided with a friend?...God, House, do you know what I went through in those three weeks without hearing from you?...what Cuddy went through?"

" _She_ dumped _me_ " he said, not with anger rather as a state of facts.

"I know that, of course. But this doesn't mean that she wasn't worried about you ... she thought you were _dead_ ... "

"I've been _dead_. In a way." House said in a serious tone.

Wilson opened wide his eyes and opened his mouth to reply but can't refute anything.

House took a deep breath and stared at his friend with his penetrating gaze.

"Fine" he said "Do you want to know if I went right to Vicodin that night after Cuddy dumped me without even giving me time or way to explain?" he took a deep breath "... Yes, I do! ... Do you want to know if I thought of ending my worthless life? ... Yes, I do. I had nothing left to lose"

He took another long pause looking straight in Wilson's eyes and then resumed.

"I took Vicodin, Vicodin, Vicodin...a lot of Vicodin... but the pain didn't pass. I took my bike and I left, aimlessly. I just wanted to forget ... don't feel pain ... don't feel _anything_... destroy myself"

He closed his eyes to that painful thought, sighed and then opened them again.

"Without realizing I arrived on the coast. The beach was dark and I practically couldn't see the ocean. I stayed hours there on that pier..."

He looked down just a second and then looked up and stared at his friend.

"Do you want to know if I thought to throw me down? ... Yes, I do!... When you hit rock bottom you only have two options: you can fall down even further and end your life, or you can find something to hold on to try to go back and begin again. So... Wilson" he bitterly smiled and shook his head "I realized I'm more human than what everybody thought ... I didn't choose death ... I grabbed on ... I tried to get up...to start all over again... and have back what I had ..."

"To have back... _Cuddy_?"

"Let's say ...have back my life... have back happiness ... or what's that feeling was... the life I had...and I litterally threw away "

"Wow! Really...wow! The binomial _House-happiness_ sounds more like ... an oxymoron! ... so now what? Where have you been?" Wilson pressed him with his questions. He couldn't pass up that opportunity of a rare sincere dialogue with his friend.

"Seattle"

Wilson looked quizzically at him.

"I called an old acquaintance who works at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. Dr. Mc Dreamy alias Dr. Derek Shepherd. He attended the University of Michigan... and at that time his girlfriend was... could you imagine who? ... one of Cuddy's best friends ... of course those two chicks couldn't pass unnoticed! " he let out a sly smile.

"So that's how I spent those three weeks. A delicate experimental surgery of almost ten hours on my leg... induced coma... hospitalization... convalescence ...physiotherapy."

He paused ...

"For some reason...why do I rather feel that even my best friend imagined me in a luxury hotel room surrounded by hookers, alcohol and drugs?" he added with mock indignation.

Wilson felt a little guilty and uncomfortable.

" _We_ called all the hospitals in the area ... Seattle was out of _our_ reach ..." he said amazed and admired deliberately emphasizing the pronouns _we_ and _our_... "Wow, really House, I can't believe it! And so now ... I mean. ..your leg is... is ... "

"Fine" he anticipated him "not yet at 100%, I can't run the marathon yet, I still have low sensitivity, but ... yes, I have no pain anymore" and then he added "You'll be surprised my friend, but to be pain free after 15 years let me be in a good mood! "

Wilson looked at him like he was a ghost.

"Who are you and what have you done to my friend?!" he said shaking his head but unable not to smile "I mean... are you saying that _on your own_ you went from the idea of suicide to the idea to rebuild your life?"

"Yeah. Well ... I ... I was able to surprise you, I see" he smiled back and his friend before continuing "Let's just say that ... I ... found something to cling to."

Wilson kept staring at him with a more and more questioning look.

"I recollected that night with... _Hanna_. That patient I can't save in Trenton and that ... well ... in a way the patient that changed my life ..." he paused "I know ... not much in Dr. House style ... " he said slightly shaking his head as if he were still in disbelief at the thought of that night.

"She had a whole life to live and could have been happy with her husband even without one leg ... if she hadn't had that ending. She wanted to live ... and I ... the more I thought about her the more I felt in a way in her debt. I felt the need to make her life and her death... useful"

He took a long pause pondering whether going forward on that road or not .

"The Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital has the best orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons in the Country. To fix my life I had first of all to fix my leg ... Well, fix it or eliminate it ... ..."

"Wh..what? Did...did you think about amputation" Wilson looked shocked.

"If there had been no other solution ... yes! My leg hadn't been very useful during these years and the pain made me a worse person. I told you about that night in Trenton, but not about what it really meant to me..."

 _And he re-experienced that night ..._

 _[House] "_ _I think I'm the only one here who knows what a leg is worth!"_

 _[Cuddy] "What are you clinging to, House? You're gonna risk her life just to save her leg? Really worked out well for you, didn't it? What do you have in your life, honestly? Tell me. I'm moving on. Wilson is moving on. And you…You've got nothing, House. Nothing. I'm going down there, and I'm gonna convince her to let me cut her leg off. If you have any decency left, you'll just stay out of it."_

 _After his fight with Cuddy he had returned to Hanna ..._

 _[House] "_ _You asked me how I'd hurt my leg. I had a blood clot, and the muscle was dying. And I had all these doctors telling me I should amputate, and I said no, and they did this… very risky operation. I almost died.  
_ _  
_ _[Hanna] But you saved your leg.  
_ _  
_ _[House] I wish I hadn't._ _They cut out a chunk of muscle about the size of my fist, and they left me with this mutilated, useless thing. I'm in pain…every day. It changed me. Made me a harder person, a worse person. And now… Now I'm alone. You don't want to be like me. You got a husband who loves you. You have friends. You can start a family. You have a life. And this… This is just a leg."_

His eyes were serious while he reminded of that night...

"At the beginning she was an ordinary woman for me, just one of my cases, but ... I saw myself in her ... I identified with her... her fear of losing a leg had been also my fear years ago ... I don't know how or why, but something happened between us... a sort of bond... and...so...she ... she became important for me, she wasn't anymore just a patient. "

He stared at Wilson with watery but tearless eyes.

"I couldn't save her life. I'm not responsible for her death. But it was time to allow things going well at least for one of us. I must try to have what she couldn't have had. Love. Friends. Family. Life... And after all this... _this was just a leg!_ "

Wilson looked at him in disbelief and deeply moved at the same time, but could not find suitable words to that surreal situation. He used to talk and listen, give advice, listen confidences, but House ... House opening the doors of his mind and heart revealing his weaknesses ... this was really surreal!

"So now what?" Wilson asked with an unsteady voice "... I mean... your leg surgery went well ... so ... what's the next step? Will you talk to Cuddy?

"No" his eyes became dark again and he looked down.

"I can't face another _no_ now ... not now ... I was a mess and I still am a mess. I have lived our relationship alternating moments of euphoria like a teenager and attempts to make a good impression being afraid of losing her and ... I lost her anyway. I don't want another story like that. I don't want to feel under exam when I'm with my woman. I don't even want another teenager relationship. It's time for me to think about a more mature relationship ... done of support, mutual trust, mutual support ... or I'll be better alone ... I don't know ... now, first of all, I need to think again to fix my leg, I need to think to my physical and mental health. And Cuddy ... she needs to be near a man able to give her support and stability. I don't think I can be that man right now... I love her, Wilson. I really love her. I never stopped thinking about her every day since our break-up, but our relationship had wrong foundations... First of all I have to fix myself if I want to think about rebuilding something with her."

He paused staring seriously at him and then added.

"I don't even want she know about my surgery - he said- not now. I prefer to continue to hide myself behind this cane."

"She loves you House, I think you should talk to her. Go there and tell her what you just told me. God, she has been waiting for you for almost twenty years! Or do you think you'll need another twenty years to fix yourself?"

But House didn't want to continue on that road anymore. That magic and surreal moment was over.

"Ok, Jimmy. We've talked too much today." he said standing up and starting to put his things in his backpack "It's getting late. Pizza and beer or Chinese and beer?" He said starting to move towards the door.

Wilson looked at him. He knew there was no point in insisting.

"Chinese". He said, hitting friendly his shoulder and following it with a smile.

* * *

 **[I'm sorry for all my mistakes ... please remember that unfortunately this is not my language.]**


	6. Different

Her alarm rang at 5 a.m. as every morning and Cuddy rolled over in her bed.

She felt so tired in the last weeks that getting up in the morning had become very difficult. But those had been very difficult weeks and months. Her cancer scare... her surgery... the break-up with House... the three weeks of his absence without no news of him...

House had returned almost three weeks ago, but their relationship was now very different.

Their conversations were short, polite, composed. There wasn't even a trace of their famous fights, their quarrels in the hospital corridors. There was no sign even of that sexual tension that pervaded their bickering.

House was different, it seemed again the same House who had returned from the Mayo Clinic almost two years ago... punctual, polite, except that this time he didn't try to woo her. He looks really better now than when they were together, every day she was more convinced of this. His life seemed to have taken a different course... healthier... more ... normal.

Wilson had talked to her a few days earlier.

They had had dinner together and had chatted on the sofa after putting Rachel in bed, sipping a herbal tea. They also talked about House of course. Wilson had tried to convince House to talk to Cuddy, but he failed and now he tried to convince Cuddy to take the first step. He didn't have told her about House's leg surgery because he had promised to his friend to keep the secret, but he had try to reassure her that House was fine and that he was trying to rebuild his life.

 _"C'mon Cuddy, you know that he still loves you. He's just trying to find himself. He didn't want to take another wrong step ... We have to give him time. He won't make the same mistakes again. It's the same thing that you wanted... a grown-up relationship... "_

 _"That's not the point, James. I know he loved me ... he loves me ... I don't even know it anymore ... But I also know that now he's fine ... I see him fine now as I didn't see in a long time. I only regret that he didn't feel that way when we were together ... I didn't want him to feel judged or under exam when we were together, but ... those are his words ... that was what he felt so... so ... it was my fault ... he's right. Now, neither of us wants another teenager relationship, so I have to do the right thing and ... I love him enough to let him go ... if this is what will make him feel good, both mentally and physically. "_

 _Wilson looked at her feeling guilty. He shouldn't have told her so many details of what House had said._

 _She took a long pause and a deep breath and then continued._

 _"I never had the gut to ask him, and even to ask you, but ... did you know him when he was with Stacy, didn't you? I mean ... they were happy, if it weren't for his leg probably they would have ... "_

 _" C'mon Lisa, you can't do this to yourself, I refuse to answer ..."_

 _So they had changed the subject._

She still turned in her bed deciding to get up for her morning yoga. She needed to relax before facing another long day.

She tried to stand up but she suddenly felt a wave of nausea and dizziness ... her vision blurred and she had to lean against the edge of her bed to keep from falling to the ground.

She sat down on the floor and stood there trying to breathe deeply. Her vision slowly came back and dizziness seemed to disappear. She still felt a strong sense of nausea, but slowly even that seemed to fade.

She stood up, slower this time, and slowly went to the bathroom leaning against the wall for support.

The cool water on her face gave her a feeling of relief. She often suffered from low blood pressure when she was younger, she was used to that, but growing up the episodes were decreased and now she thought that she had to be more careful getting up from bed so abruptly. Not to mention that she really had neglected of herself in recent months... not sleeping and eating even less. She had lost weight and, although she didn't care particularly about that, she had noticed that her clothes were now a bit oversized. The dream of every woman at least!

She really needed her morning yoga to relax before facing another long day.


	7. Pain free

House put the key in his front door. He was covered in sweat and panting, rubbing his right leg more out of habit than necessity. He paused before entering, deeply inhaling the fresh air of that early June morning. He had begun to appreciate getting up early in the morning for a run in the park. The control that he had gained on his body gave him a feeling of power. It had been six weeks since his leg surgery and he felt literally a new man. As it had temporarily happened years before with Ketamine... but this time it would be lasting.

By now since two weeks he didn't need his cane, but had continued to use it at work. He wanted to be sure of the result before making it public, he didn't want to have to endure other looks of pity if the results will have been different from his expectations. It was a week since he started to go running every morning and his leg muscles were more toned and strong. He was also regularly doing his gym exercises every day at lunchtime. For the first time in a long time he felt to be back the man he was in the past, physically and mentally...

An hour after, he entered the main entrance of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital ... _without his cane._

He knew it would be a morning of questions and answers, of glances and gossip. That situation was not for him. But after all he was famous not only for his genius, but to be the grumpy genius diagnostician with a cane then. He knew that, now, attracting a lot of eyes on him would be inevitable.

He walked straight to the office in front of him. He had stayed away from _that_ office as much as he could since his coming back to Plainsboro, but that morning he knew he couldn't avoid it anymore.

He knocked on the door and entered without waiting for an answer, in House-style.

Her scent pervaded the room and brought him back many memories, too many memories.

She looked up from her desk and looked at him with amazement while he approached and sit down on one of the chairs in front of her. Without his cane.

"Oh my God ... I can't believe it ..." her voice was just a whisper.

"I thought that, as my boss, you should know" he said staring at her "although I don't think it will take a long time before everyone knows" he said without a smile

"What's...?"

"A _miracle..._ I visited _Our Lady of Lourdes_ " he said in a serious tone looking at her with his penetrating stare.

The tension was palpable among them. They both felt the weight of unanswered and looming questions. He wanted her to know that his leg was fine, but he wasn't going to open up with her. She had dumped him and had been clear about not wanting to have to do with him anymore. Now she was _just his boss_. He was still in love with her, but he was no longer willing to put up a new refusal. Therefore he preferred to do what he had always managed to do better ... being a cold, impassive and emotionless _bastard._

She stared back at him placing a hand under her chin answering to his provocation. She knew that he wouldn't tell her what had happened.

" _Our Lady of Lourdes_...?" she looked up weighing her words and nodding "You are _an atheist_ , House"

"You are _Jewish_ "

She stared at him again with a questioning look.

"Oh, sorry" he added with mock innocent air "I thought we were playing the game of the obvious!"

She sighed and waved her hand as if to say _never mind, never mind_.

She was accustomed to his jokes and his teasing, and there had always been tension in their squabbles ... _sexual tension_ ... There had always been complicity between them since that first look in the library's her first University day, and she had always been able to handle it. But now ... she felt like if after two decades she didn't know how to sustain that tension anymore. The guilt was blocking her and she knew she had no right to interfere in his life...after all she had been the one dumping him that cursed night.

Neither of them spoke, then, before one of them opened the mouth to speak, Nurse Brenda knocked and appeared in the doorframe, bringing them back to reality from that surreal situation.

"I beg your pardon Dr. Cuddy, but the Board Meeting is in 5 minutes and you told me to warn you when Dr. Montgomery was here..."

"Oh ... sure" she said looking at her wristwatch to make sure not to be too late "Thanks Brenda. Please, tell them, I'll be there right now."

She stood up and House did the same.

"I'm sorry House, I really have to ... I really have to go"

"Sure!" he answered back heading for the door "See you!"


	8. Revelations

That early afternoon House wandered in the Emergency Ward looking for an interesting case. He regularly ever did his hours of Clinic duty (once again in an employee-of-the-years style) but he obviously preferred solving his mysterious cases. He could save a life and solve a puzzle ... the perfect match.

He was reading a folder looking for unusual symptoms when he saw a familiar face. _Marina_. She was standing in a corner with folded arms and a worried look, as if she was about to burst into tears.

House felt a chill run down his spine.

"Marina - he called approaching her and laying a hand on her shoulder causing the woman looking up at him "What's wrong?" and his eyes couldn't help but notice the bloodstains on her shirt.

"Oh, Dr. House, I ... I can't contact Dr. Cuddy ... Rach... Rachel ... fell at the playground... - she put a hand on her mouth beginning to cry -...oh my God... there was so much blood ... my poor little baby"

"Ok, Marina... - House swallowed feeling his stomach closed in a vise - ok ... where's Rachel?"

She gestured with her hand indicating a box a little further.

House felt his irrational part to prevail over his rational one. He was not used to that feeling. He was not used to feeling so involved by someone, to caring so much about someone.

He opened with a sudden move the curtain of that box and found Rachel. Her face was covered in blood and she was crying and sobbing, while a nurse and Dr. Hudson were trying to calm her. They needed to understand how deep the wound on her head was.

"Where's Dr. Cuddy?" he asked in a firm tone to the nurse.

"I don't know - she replied a little scared - I tried to phone her several times but her cell is off. She's not in the hospital...she had a working lunch ... and I ... I ... I can't calm down the kid"

Rachel was kicking with her little legs trying to put away Dr. Hudson with her tiny hands. She was scared to death by that situation.

House approached her and sat on the bed "Rach ... hey Rachel, it's me ... I'm here kid, I'm here" ...

She immediately recognized his voice and for a moment stopped crying looking around to find that voice she knew so well. When she saw him her eyes became even larger and House's heart skipped a beat. She looked at him as if she had seen him just the day before and immediately threw herself in his arms, snuggling in his embrace keeping her little bloody face hidden against his chest. House held her tightly and stroked her back with his big hand. Her crying was different now, no longer desperate cries of fear, but just sobs while her tears and blood soaked his shirt.

"I'm here, Rach... I'm here. it's ok, everything will be fine"

The staff watched that scene like something surreal. None had ever seen House in that light and none thought there was a soft side in that rude, sarcastic and unkind doctor.

He didn't know what was wrong with Rachel yet. He hadn't been able to examine her yet. But his rational medical side was relieved that she hadn't lost consciousness, she was alert and responsive although there was a lot of blood.

"Rach, hey Rach - he said in a soothing voice lifting her tiny face and looking straight into her eyes- May I give a look at your _booboo_?

She had a wound on the scalp. It was bleeding a lot but it wasn't so serious. He just bandaged her wound, she didn't need any stitches. Her nose was bleeding because of the facial trauma, but it wasn't broken and her swollen lips would heal on their own in a few days. " _She was fine, thank God she was fine"_ he thought feeling as if he had lost ten years of life in that half hour.

He reassured Marina and told her to go home, to rest and not worry, then he went back to Rachel. She was now much quieter sitting on the bed while Nurse Jamie was cleaning her little face and hands.

"Hey Rachel. Do you know what we could do now to heal your _booboo_?"

She looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Ice cream?" he asked her "How about going together at the hospital café waiting for your mommy?"

She nodded and smiled.

If a few years earlier someone should have told him that he would have melt at every smile of those _two girl_ , he wouldn't have believed it. But that was the truth. And it didn't matter if it was the _original version_ or the _mini_ one.

They actually sent Nurse Brenda to buy chocolate ice-cream and Rachel ate it in her mom's office in House's arms. She fell asleep embracing that man apparently so rude with everyone but so special at her eyes.

And Cuddy found them like that when she entered her office. They were hugged and asleep on her couch. Her anxiety suddenly vanished at that view.

Nurse Brenda had immediately stopped her when she had entered the main door of the Plainsboro and had told her in detail what had happened, immediately reassuring her that now her daughter was quiet in her office with Dr. House.

Cuddy felt extremely guilty for not having been there when her baby needed her and she couldn't understand what the hell had happened to her cell that had gone off without giving prior notice during an emergency. Then, as she listened in disbelief at how House had comforted and reassured her kid, she felt a lump in her throat. She knew that he cared about Rachel, he loved her, but that protective and _fatherly_ attitude ... ... affected her much more than she thought.

She tried not to wake them up, but _he_ felt her presence in the room and opened his eyes.

"She's fine - he said meeting her eyes - ...only a few bruises that will heal in a few days"

"Thanks" she said. It wasn't a cold _thanks_ but a full of gratitude one. She really was grateful to him for having been there for her little girl. She look at him with teary eyes.

He replied with a nod that meant _"anytime"_ then slowly moved, trying not to wake Rachel up. He settled her on the couch and covered her with the blanket that Cuddy had given him.

She couldn't help but notice his shirt stained with her kid's blood and chocolate ice-cream.

"Ok, I ... I have to go..." he said trying to bear the increasing tension between them "Give her a kiss for me when she wakes up"

She nodded as he passed near her heading for the door. His arm lightly touched her arm as he passed and that unintended slight contact sent a shiver down the spine of both of them.


	9. Coincidences

The day after House was in his office looking at a just admitted patient's folder. That man, a drunk drug addict, had destroyed with his car his ex-girlfriend's living room convinced that she had betrayed him. After the crash he had nonchalantly approached her and had returned her a hairbrush before collapsing in convulsions to the ground. House was wondering if that insane and violent gesture could be considered a neurological symptom or if it was just an effect of his patient's addiction.

"I heard what happened yesterday" Wilson said entering the door "I can't stay out of town for a day without something to happen"

"She's fine" he said without looking up from his patient's folder "she was just very scared"

"I know" Wilson added "But I'm still not used to this _new_ House"

"Neither do I" House said finally looking up from what he was reading and taking off his glasses.

"When are you going to talk to Cuddy? I feel like to have gone back at least three years. You both continue to take one step forward and three steps backward ... when will you both decide to walk in the same direction?"

House didn't answer. He knew what Wilson meant.

The phone on his desk rang. "Saved by the phone" he said with a grin looking at his friend.

"House" he said picking up the receiver.

"Nice to hear you, House, it's Derek Shepherd" said the voice on the other end of the receiver.

* * *

Ten minutes after House put the receiver down. Wilson was still there sitting in the chair in front of his desk and watching him.

"It was Derek Shepherd of Seattle Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital" House said "My surgery was so innovative that in light of the excellent results they would like to present my case to the next convention of the Avery Foundation later this month. They are looking for funding to start a new research project on therapy of lower limbs arterial ischemia disability. Honestly it sounds a bit strange to be invited to that event as a _patient_ and not as a medical doctor"

"You are invited both as a doctor _and_ as a patient. Who better than you can give a better perspective of this case?"

"Yeah" he said "but as a MD I'll have also to submit a report about latest data on this disease and its surgical and non-surgical treatment. You know how much I hate to speak at conferences!"

"I know" Wilson added smiling "and so what? What will you do? Will you go to Seattle for that Convention?"

"Well, this time I really couldn't run away" he said with the hint of a smile aware that he had to be grateful to that team that had given him his leg back. He wasn't used to feel indebted to someone.

"But ..." he added while his eyes grew serious

"What?" Wilson replied

"Dr. Cuddy will be there too. Dr. Owen Hunt, Director of the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital personally invited her to plan with _our Dean of Medicine_ some details of the research protocol that should involve both hospitals, our and their"

"Wow, House! Too bad they didn't need an oncologist... I would to be there to enjoy the _show_!" Wilson smiled shaking his head. That coincidence could have a great or a bad ending ...

"I can't remember... tell me why did I think you were a friend of mine?!" House said unable to repress a smile.

* * *

In her office on ground floor also Cuddy had just received a phone call from Seattle.

She had already met Dr. Hunt during a conference on Emergency Medicine and Surgery in New York a year and a half earlier. She knew he was working at Seattle Grace's. That hospital was famous not only for its brilliant Surgery Department but also for the terrible plane crash that involved a group of surgeons just a year before. After the air crash that Hospital had changed its name in Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital in memory of those dead surgeons.

She remembered very well that day. She was watching the newscast when the anchor-man had given the news of the plane crash and she had read on the screen the name of the missing doctors ... _Dr. Derek Shepherd_ ... She had had to sit down at the news. She knew Derek very well, they had attended the same University. He was the boyfriend of one of her best friends, Addison Montgomery, and after graduation she had also attended their wedding. Derek and Addison were a beautiful couple, but their relationship hadn't worked and they had divorced years ago. He had moved to Seattle. Addison had stayed in New York at first, then she had followed him to Seattle and then moved to Los Angeles and then back again to New York. Cuddy had breathed a sigh of relief when the missing of that incident had been found, _alive_.

She was glad to see her friend again after so much time.

It was a strange coincidence to hear about him after a long time when just a couple of months earlier she had met Addison too. The old Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology had retired and she had contacted her friend to offer her that role at Princeton-Plainsboro. Addison was now the new Head of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatal Surgery so they met every day at work and even outside work. They both were single mothers, and Henry, Addison's foster son was as old as Rachel. And now, she would even meet Derek during Avery Foundation Convention the next June 26.

She was very interested in the project that Hunt had anticipated on the phone and as administrator a co-project Plainsboro-Grey-Sloan was a great opportunity for her hospital.

Hunt had initially been very vague on the rationale for the selection of Plainsboro for their project, but she wasn't naive. It couldn't be a coincidence that the day before House had entered her office without his cane, and now she was on phone with the West Coast to discuss a project on treatment of peripheral arterial ischemia. She had been taken by surprise but it was certainly not born yesterday. And so, she had said _his_ name.

"Have you already talked to Dr. House about the Project and the Convention?" she had asked to Hunt during their conversation letting him to believe that she was well aware of the facts.

"In fact, Shepherd is on the phone with him while I am with you" Hunt had added with a bit of embarrassment in his voice "We really hope to meet you both in Seattle. I know that we didn't give you notice, but the Convention is scheduled for months and we added this project at last minute in the light of the results ... well ... the sensational results."

"Of course - Cuddy said - I'll be there."


	10. Dizziness

In her office Cuddy was re-reading the data that she was going to present in her report in Seattle.

The work trip had been organized. Trisha, Cuddy's assistant had bought plane tickets for both Cuddy and House and had confirmed their room reservations in the luxury hotel that will have been also the Avery Convention location.

They will have left in less than a week and she couldn't hide the fact that the almost six hours flight sitting near House and the following three days in Seattle worried her a little. Many questions turned around in her mind. _How will he behave? Will he fake a friendly relationship between colleagues? Will he isolate avoiding to meet me? Or will we find a way to have back a little of our confidence managing to stay together, talk and even solve our unsolved problems?_

For now her priority was to finish her report for the congress and... to be sure that House did his report too. She was a perfectionist and she wouldn't be quiet until everything was perfectly ready. Actually, according to her standard, her presentation should have already been over, but in recent days she hadn't felt too good and she could hardly concentrate. Even when she was alone in her office and there was apparently nothing bothering her, she was rather constantly bothered by a vague sense of nausea and dizziness. In the last days she had often had those episodes of hypotension too. She was familiar with them since her youth but now they bothered her anyway even if luckily they hadn't interfered too much with her work. She was very tired but had continued to walk up and down hospital hallways on her high heels since morning to evening every day.

So she had warned Trisha that she didn't want to be disturbed.

* * *

She had been working on her report all the afternoon and finally her presentation could be considered ready.

 _"I'll add some details later"_ she thought but she could still be satisfied.

She ran a hand over her forehead and neck. She was very tired after having been focused on her computer for so many hours. She checked her wristwatch and turned off her computer. But before going home she had to do what she had thought to do all the day... to check that also House's report was ready. She wasn't in the mood to supervise him, but she was his boss and at Avery Convention she was going to represent her hospital so she couldn't risk something going wrong or worse he embarrassing her Hospital.

She sighed leaving her office and headed toward the elevator. She really was having a hard time finding the right words with him since his return to Plainsboro. She didn't want to be nagging but even disinterested, she didn't want to say anything that could hurt him but even seem fragile at his eyes. When they were together she always weighed her words, gestures and body movements.

It was past 5 p.m. and he was still in his office.

She watched him for a moment through the glass door before entering. She loved that blue T-shirt. It brought out his eyes and it highlighted his arms and chest muscles especially now that they were more toned from his regular physical activity. _"Why has he to be so much handsome?"_ she thought not being able to turn away that strong desire for a physical contact with him. That desire was there every time she was in his presence. She had held off that feeling for more than eighteen years, but after having experienced that contact again, after having stroked his skin and breathed in his scent, that feeling grew stronger each time she was close to him. She was still in love with him and even if she wanted to control that feeling with her most rational side, she certainly couldn't control her irrational one.

She entered House's office and he immediately became aware of her silent presence. That invisible bond between them continued to surprise him.

He watched her entering trying not to let his eyes showing how much beautiful he thought she was.

Her purple silk low-cut shirt highlighted her cleavage and her black sheath skirt perfectly outlined her gorgeous hips and emphasized her well toned legs. He kept wondering how she could walk all day with those high heels, but he couldn't deny that they contributed to make her even sexier. He felt the strong desire to stand up and push her against his desk kissing her passionately. He immediately tried to turn away that image.

"Hi ... I'm glad you're still here" she smiled taking a few steps toward his desk.

"Shouldn't you be home at this time?" House asked. His tone wasn't rude, it was quite the tone of someone who cares for another person.

"Uhm ... yes, I should...but Rachel is at my mother's tonight so it's not a problem ..." she was affected by his interest. "I was just wondering... is your report ready for the next week congress?" She added trying to keep her tone calm and trying not to look anxious.

"Everything's ready, _mistress_. I know how much you care to make a good impression. I'll email you a copy so you'll give it a look"

"Thanks" she replied surprised by the kindness of his answer "but ... I just wanted to know if everything is ok... I didn't mean to interfere ... in your work ..."

"No problem ... you're the boss ... I would have let Wilson to read it as usual, but tonight is already gone ... if you want to give me your opinion it doesn't bother me " he stared at her with his piercing blue eyes studying her look.

He knew very well that his new attitude impressed her. She had known him in the worst period of his life and incredibly she had even fallen in love with him, despite then the epilogue had not been happy. He was aware of not being a perfect man, or rather to be flawed even before his leg infarction, but for sure, now that he no longer felt pain and could stay away from drugs, his character and his attitude towards people had softened. And the strange thing was that he wasn't faking it, he didn't have to strive to be this _new_ House.

"By then...thanks" she added pausing for a moment pondering whether to say what was in her mind right now.

She stare at him with a hint of a smile "And ... I'm really happy that your leg is getting better House ... really."

"I am happy, too" he replied, not scoffing her but with a sincere smile. "I never thought I could have run again" he added. "Like the saying goes _every cloud has a silver lining_ "

She didn't reply and looked down not knowing what else to say.

"It's weird... the most important events of my life, both the better and the worst, are tied to this leg ..." he said. "... Stacy... Hanna ... _you_... and now this..." his words were calm, resigned, without anger, just a statement of facts."

She looked at him unable to say anything.

Hearing those names listed one by one, she re-experienced all those moments. _House's leg infarct... the moment in which Stacy took that decision against House will, House's reaction after the surgery and the pain he suffered ... that accident in Trenton ... Hanna and the words that he told her to convince her to let him cutting her leg away ... Lucas's look when she had dumped him the night after their engagement... House's look when she went to him after Hanna's death ... their first night in his apartment making love and all the moments they had spent together after that night until the night in which she had dumped him ..._

Her head began to spin faster and faster and a strong sense of nausea locked suddenly her stomach. She put a hand over her face and closed her eyes, trying to breathe deeply. House looked at her pale face and saw her suddenly reaching out at his desk to try to stay on her feet.

"Cuddy, what's wrong...?" he stood up as foreseeing the scene that was going on in front of him and approached her taking her arm.

"You need to sit down ..." he said in a firm voice that betrayed his concern.

She opened her eyes for a moment and her blue-gray eyes met House's clear blue.

She tried to lean on him, but before she could move, she felt overwhelmed by another stronger wave of dizziness. She heard him calling her name again _"Cuddy!"_ but her vision completely blurred and everything went dark while she lost consciousness.

House held her to keep her from falling to the ground and picked her up in his arms. His heart was hammering in his chest while he laid her down on his chaise-long. He checked her pulse that was present but incredibly weak and fast. Then he settled a pillow under her legs to allow blood to return more quickly to the brain. He sat down near her continuing to observe her and gently shaking her to make her open her eyes. Those few moments in which she remained unconscious seemed an eternity to him. Her face was very pale and her forehead was slightly sweaty because of the too low pressure. 80/40 mmHg the sphygmomanometer that House had put on her arm said.

"C'mon Cuddy ..." he kept saying "open your eyes". "Cuddy... can you hear me? _Lisa_...? It's all right, I'm here."

She could hear his voice ... she loved to hear him calling her name... her first name... _Lisa_... Finally, after a few minutes, keeping her eyes closed, she could say... _"I'm fine... "_ Her voice was just a whisper. She felt so weak that she could barely pronounce a few words.

"Sorry if I don't trust very much in your awful medical opinion" House said smiling at her and teasing her "but you really didn't seem _fine_ to me" he even jokingly added. He was trying to make her smile. And he succeeded. On her lips appeared the hint of a smile and she tried to open her eyes to meet his.

His eyes were dark and worried.

"I'm fine..." she whispered again but this time looking into his eyes "but this nausea is still killing me..."

"Ok" he said "stay here, I'll be back."

He walked away and returned a few moments later with a glass in his hand. He sat down near her.

"Can you sit?"

He removed the pillow from under her legs and put it behind her back helping her with caution to sit. She closed her eyes again exhaling deeply. House suddenly stopped.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

His voice was so sweet and caring that she seemed to be in front of another person.

"Yes" she whispered "I'm ok..."

"Fine" she said "have a sip of this. It's Ginger Ale, it will alleviate a bit your nausea and will increase a little your blood sugar."

"Thank you ..." she said slowly sipping her drink. It was really weird to be in that situation and watching him who so lovingly was taking care of her.

"Is it the first time or did it already happen?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"Uhm ... actually... yes... it already happened... last week, at home," she thought for a moment "... and I've been having nausea and dizziness for some days...especially in the morning and at evening... but I haven't given it particular care... it's the first time I pass out ..."

He stared at her for a moment, she knew that he was studying her symptoms, he was _diagnosing_ her.

"You could be ... pregnant?" he asked feeling a little uncomfortable.

She shook her head and let out a small laugh.

"No...no, no, no...I'm sure about that"

He continued to stare thoughtfully at her without speaking.

"I... I certainly can't be pregnant..." Cuddy added looking down "I haven't sex since we ... well ... I haven't been having sex for more than two months ..."

They both felt a little uncomfortable. Their minds went back to their last night together. That was the last time they had made love but that night they didn't know that _that_ would be the last.

"And you're Jewish ..." he shoot back smiling at her "so I think it's out of question that you can be ... _a modern Our Lady Virgin Mary_ "

She smiled and shook her head. It took just a joke to break the tension, she thought.

"Actually she was Jewish too" she laughed "but yeah... it's totally out of question!"

"Fine" he said. He felt a sense of relief knowing that the woman he still was in love with had not had sex with any other man after him.

"I probably just need some rest." Cuddy added "It... it was a difficult time ... I didn't eat very much and ... I slept even less ...in the past two months"

"Ok" he answered "I'll take you home then"

She tried to convince him that there was no need to take her home, but House would not hear about that. He forced her to lie down at least half an hour until her cheeks resumed a slightly color.

"Can you stand up?" he asked looking at her less pale face.

She gave a nod with her head and with caution tried to get up. He unexpectedly took her by the arm holding her while she stood up, to be sure that she wasn't collapsing again. Cuddy stood on her feet and took a deep breath. She felt his hand still holding her arm and their bodies were close as they hadn't been in a long time.

They looked at each-other for a few moments, her eyes melt with his. She clearly felt her scent and he felt hers. She wanted to kiss him and he wanted to kiss her ...

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I am" she replied. ... And he left her arm, taking a couple of steps back.

"Fine" He walked over to his desk to pick up his backpack before looking at her again "Come on, I'll take you home."

* * *

They exited the main entrance of Plainsboro together, side by side.

"Let's take your car" he said making a gesture with his hand "hand me your keys"

She looked thoughtfully at him. "And how do you get home then?"

He put his hand near his mouth pretending an extremely thoughtful expression "Uhm ... Let's see... I'm sure enough that someone had invented a strange motor vehicle" he answered looking at her with a teasing look "it's called ... oh, yeah ... _cab_ ".

They both laughed, while she threw him her car keys. She loved his jokes and loved being able to have again some moments of _intimacy_ with him.

It was a very silent car trip except for the music coming out from the radio. He kept his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road, although occasionally he watched her with the corner of his eye. She looked out of the window with her hands resting in her lap. She felt uncomfortable again. Again she had to suppress the instinctive part of herself trying to listen only to the rational one. She ignored that House was thinking exactly the same thing.

They both had many memories of their previous car trips. They weren't teenagers and House had an injured leg so they had never made love in that car, however during their relationship it was impossible for them to keep their hands away from each other when they were alone. Usually he used to stroke her left knee and thigh with his right hand keeping his left hand on the wheel. And often he even stroke her inner thigh ... even pushing a little upper... and those foreplay ended always with them making love just after having closed the front door...

Cuddy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly closing her eyes, trying to fight the image forming in her mind. He noticed it, but said nothing. He could easily imagine what she was thinking. That picture was now in the mind of both of them.

* * *

He walked her to the front door, then hesitated a moment and entered behind her taking his cell from his pocket to call a cab.

She asked him to stay for dinner, but he politely refused.

"I think it's better for me to go home" had said "... you have to rest ..." he added.

She nodded, fighting the lump in her throat. He stayed only until the arrival of the cab. He behaved like a gentleman and said good night, like that night when she had lost Joy, _but without the kiss._


	11. Journey

It was the morning of their departure for Seattle and Cuddy was waiting for the cab for the airport. She and House would have taken the same flight and would have met each other at Newark airport. She felt excited at the thought of spending three days with House, like a kid waiting for the school trip. She had been worried at first but that feeling had partially disappeared after he had been so caring at her in the previous week. She really didn't know what to expect now. 

* * *

She sat in the waiting room. Their flight was leaving in 40 minutes and she was ahead, as usual. He saw her right away as he walked pulling his trolley. He stopped at the airport check-in to board his luggage and then headed toward her. She was reading a book. 

"You should be careful! A beautiful woman like you standing all alone might be approached by a dangerous guy" he said jokingly. 

"By a grumpy diagnostician for example" she replied with a broad smile and a mischievous look. 

"Good morning" he said sitting down next to her. 

"Good morning" she said still smiling and not breaking eye contact. 

They were silent until boarding. She read her book, he was pretending to read his with his I-pod in the ears. 

They boarded half an hour later and headed for the large business class seats. She started to lift her carry-on bag to put it in the overhead bin but he was faster and wordlessly took her luggage from her hands saying _"Gimme ..."_ She sat in the window seat. He put in the overhead bin their luggage before take a seat in the corridor seat next to her. Those gestures of chivalry continued to surprise her. 

It would be almost 6 long hours of flight, the arrival in Seattle was scheduled for 4 pm. 

House closed his eyes listening at the music of his I-pod. Cuddy looked for a little out of the window as long as the plane gained altitude and all she could see were clouds, clouds, clouds. She then closed her eyes leaning her head on the headrest and let sleep take possession of her body. 

She woke up about an hour later realizing that her head was slipped from her headrest and was practically leaning on House's shoulder. He was awake reading a magazine. He could have arranged her headrest, but he hadn't ... Cuddy smiled to herself. 

"Oh ... I'm sorry ..." she said moving quickly and arranging herself in her seat. 

"You're welcome, Sleeping Beauty," he replied with a smile continuing to read his magazine. 

A minute later the hostess came up with the lunch cart. 

"Good morning sir. Good morning madam. I hope your flight is going well" she said to House and Cuddy. Both nodded with a hint of a smile. 

"Do you prefer meat, fish or vegetarian menu?" 

"I'll have the meat menu, please" House said 

"And ... the vegetarian one for me, please." Cuddy added 

"Here they are" she smiled and took their lunch trays from the cart. 

"As drink you can have red wine, white wine, beer, soda and mineral water with or without gas" 

"A glass of red wine, please" House said 

"Uhm, just mineral water, please" Cuddy said 

"Here it is" she said handing Cuddy her bottle of water, then she turned to House handing him the glass of wine and adding "Do you even want a bottle of water like your wife, sir?" 

Cuddy almost choked with her water. That word " _wife"_ sounded so weird, especially thinking about her current relationship with House. But he instead did not got upset, after all he was good at hiding emotions. He look at the hostess with a hint of a smile and said quietly "No, thank you. I'm fine." 

They ate in silence, that comment had frozen the atmosphere. 

Cuddy ate a few forkfuls of her pasta and a few leaves of lettuce, then lowered her fork. She really couldn't eat anymore. 

"Next time you'll faint, I can't promise to be there to pick you up before you hit the ground ..." House said looking at her practically untouched dish. 

"... I'm sorry - she said looking at him - but I really can't eat anymore" 

He looked at her like watching a kid throwing a tantrum and restarted to eat his chicken curry. 

"Do you still feel sick?" he asked a moment later. 

She nodded looking into his eyes with a serious expression and biting her lower lip. 

"When we'll come back I'll prescribe you a check-up - he said - with or without your will" 

She nodded again. "It's been almost 3 months since my surgery... I have a scheduled medical examination with Dr. Hayes in early July." 

"Fine then" House said taking another forkful of his meat. 

* * *

The flight was on time. They landed at Seattle airport at 4 pm and an hour and a half after they arrived in front of their hotel. It was a beautiful and luxurious five-stars downtown hotel, built at the beginning of 1900 and decorated in French style. 

They stopped at the reception to take their room keys and then headed toward the elevator. 

Their rooms were on the tenth floor. Room number 1016 for him, room number 1022 for her. 

"I'm exhausted ..." Cuddy said "I really need to take a shower and a good night's sleep..." 

"Yeah, me too," he replied with a smile, as the elevator doors opened. They headed to their rooms and approached the key card to the reader. The reader light turned green and the door opened. 

"Good night, Cuddy," he said "See you tomorrow" 

"Good night House" replied with a slight smile.


	12. Cuddy's Serenade

Her room was very spacious and had a great view of the city. 

Cuddy stepped out of the shower and slipped into her hotel bathrobe. She laid down on the bed and fell asleep shortly after, the journey had literally destroyed her. 

She woke up a few hours later and checked her wristwatch. _10 p.m._ and she had not had dinner. In that hotel she could choose a fine French restaurant, a more casual oyster bar and or piano bar proposing cocktails and appetizers. But she didn't be in the mood to mingle with people so she ordered a couple of sandwiches and a light herbal tea from room service. 

She took a bite of her whole wheat bread-soft cheese-tomato-lettuce sandwich and slowly sipped her tea sitting cross-legged on the bed. 

Her cell rang. _House._

"Hello - she said in the receiver- House where are you?" 

"In front of your room door" he said. 

She stood up and went to the door. 

"Hey ..." she said opening the door 

"I just wanted to be sure that you weren't half-dead on the floor ... or I should have to submit also your report to the conference tomorrow and ... you know how much I hate doing that" he joked. 

She smiled. "I'm fine". And motioned for him to come in. He paused a moment and then came in noticing the couple of sandwiches on the bed. He couldn't help but comment. 

"Wow, big meal, I see." 

She couldn't help but smile shaking her head. 

She took her sandwich from the dish and gave it a little bite handing out the second sandwich to House. 

He hesitated at the beginning but seeing her to insist he reached out and took it giving it a big bite. 

"Not bad for being vegetarian" he said. 

"I could imagine that you haven't had dinner yet" she said laughing "You hate vegetarian sandwiches" 

"Right!" He laughed. She hadn't heard a sincere laugh from him in a long time. "In fact I was going down to the bar. I wondered if you wanted to join me, but ... after this hearty dinner ... I think that you should fast at least until Christmas" he laughed again. 

If that invite had come from anyone else she would certainly have said no, that she was tired and had to get up early tomorrow morning, but she couldn't pass up an opportunity to spend some time with him just when he was the one who wanted to spend time with her. 

"I might surprise you" she said getting up from the bed on which she was sitting and walking toward the bathroom. She came back wearing a pair of tight jeans and a sleeveless black shirt and sat on the bed to pull on her heeled shoes. 

"Let's go?" She said. 

He nodded and smiled watching her beautiful body and made her way to the door. 

* * *

They chose the piano bar and sat at a table in the back from where they had a good view of the pianist. She ordered a Martini, he had a double whiskey and a Reuben sandwich without pickles. 

"I really have to explain you what the word "sandwich" really means..." he said looking at her and biting his Reuben. 

They chatted for a long time, joking and laughing. They hadn't felt so at ease even in the year they spent together. The piano bar music created a comfortable atmosphere and alcohol lowered their defense walls. They were both on the ir second drink and felt fewer oppressed by their rational sides. 

By now it was past midnight and they both knew that that night was at the end. They both would have had a busy day the next day. The piano bar was almost empty and the pianist had closed his score and was collecting his things, his work schedule was over. 

House stood up and approached the pianist. She saw him nodding before heading toward the exit smiling politely at her on his way out. When she looked back at House he was sitting at the piano. He looked at her for a moment before lowering his eyes on the white and black keys and starting to play a song she knew so well. _Cuddy's Serenade_. He had composed it for her the evening of Rachel's Simchat Bat and he often used to play it for her during their year together. It was a tune that had a special meaning...for both of them. 

He lifted his hands from the piano and looked at her as she wiped away with her hand a tear that was running down her cheek. He stood up and stared at her. He knew he had awakened countless emotions. He didn't want to force things too much that night. 

"I think it's better go" he said "Or you won't be able to hide the lack of sleep even under two layers of foundation tomorrow" 

She smiled and stood up from the chair. She liked the way he could play down the events with a single joke. And she liked the course that this stay in Seattle was taking. 

* * *

**[Please let me know if you like this story...please review]**


	13. The Convention

The next morning they met in the hotel lobby. 

She wore an elegant modern cut Armani suit with skirt and a pair of black 5 inches heeled Louboutins with the characteristic shiny red lacquered sole. Under the jacket she wore a black silk top. A bracelet of red coral on her wrist perfectly matched her shoes soles. 

He wore a dark gray suit with shirt of the same color and a light blue tie. His beard was well maintained. 

"Wow" he said when he saw her "You certainly didn't go unnoticed, Cuddy" 

"Thanks" she said. She knew that he liked when she wore those shoes. 

"You look very well too" she added. And he knew that she loved when he wore that light blue tie that brought out his eyes. 

They walked together toward the convention hall and stopped to pick up their badges and the final program of the day. 

The presentations were scheduled in the morning and in the afternoon. The next morning was instead scheduled a meeting about the research project, a sort of round table. At 11:30 it was scheduled Cuddy's presentation and in the afternoon House's one. The conference end was scheduled at 5 pm and will be followed by the luxurious gala dinner whose start was scheduled for 8 pm. A very intense day. 

"Lisa!" Cuddy turned hearing calling her name. 

"Derek!" 

He approached and enclosed her in a hug giving her a kiss on the cheek and stroking her back. "Wow, you're beautiful like always. The time for you doesn't want to go!" He said taking a step back while holding her arms and looking admiringly at her. 

"Time goes for me too, I assure you " she answered smiling but welcomed the compliment " I'm really so happy to see you again. " 

He turned to the woman who was with him "Meet my wife" he said "Dr. Meredith Grey" and turned to Meredith "Meet Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Director of Princeton Plainsboro Hospital and Dean of Medicine" 

"Nice to meet you - Lisa said shaking her hand as she couldn't help but notice her prominent six months pregnant belly -I heard a lot about you. Derek and I attended the same University ... a lifetime ago." 

Meredith smiled back and handshake "The pleasure's mine - she said - I hope we should chat a bit tonight during dinner" 

"Sure" she answered 

Then Cuddy turned to House who had stayed behind to watch that scene. 

"And ... you already know Dr. Gregory House, do you?" she added. 

And House came forward to shake hands with Meredith and Derek. Obviously he just had got to know both. 

"A extraordinary result House - Meredith said with a sincere smile looking at House's leg - I really would'ot have hoped for such a result" 

"So let's hope this is the beginning of a new frontier of surgery" House said. 

They both shook many other hands while they waited for the conference to start and exchanged pleasantries with several staff members of the Grey-Memorial Sloan: Dr. Owen Hunt, Director of the hospital, Dr. Jackson Avery, majority shareholder of the Hospital Board of Directors and representative of the Avery foundation, Dr. Catherine Avery and Dr. Richard Webber, Dr. Cristina Young, Dr. Miranda Bailey, Dr. Callie Torres, Dr. Alex Karev, Dr. April Kepner. 

Cuddy was surprised once again by House's behavior. He was behaving in a very polite way, even giving smiles and greetings and responding to questions, without jokes and rude comments. 

House couldn't help but notice the way in which Dr. Hunt looked at Cuddy. It was hot in the hall and she had taken off her jacket revealing the silk top that highlighted her shapely bare shoulders bare and her wonderful cleavage. She kept holding her red folded black jacket elegantly on her arm with her black leather bag. Certainly Hunt couldn't help but being fascinated by that gorgeous and powerful woman, and as administrators of a hospital they both spoke the same language and had many things in common. _"Please, call me Lisa"_ she had told him smiling when he had politely greeted as "Dr. Cuddy." _Lisa_ ... he, House, not yet called her by her first name and they have been knowing each other for twenty years! Well, not for lack of confidence in reality, but for some reason they had always preferred to use their surnames "House and Cuddy" ...almost to keep a slight distance between them, as if they feared that their first names would make them more vulnerable. Being called Greg made him feel as if exposing his softer side, as if revealing too much of himself, and yet ... he wanted to call her " _Lisa_ "... 

* * *

They sat side by side in the conference room listening carefully to the reports of the morning. 

At 11.30 the moderator introduced Cuddy's report. She stood elegantly walking towards the stage. She nodded toward the moderator's desk as he sat behind the microphone. At House's eyes could not pass unnoticed the glances of his colleagues who at first had admired the walk of that beautiful doctor towards the stage and now were literally kidnapped from her brain while she was talking in her addictive tone making interesting even a presentation about "Assessment on hospital costs of medical and surgical complications of chronic diseases. " 

He couldn't help but even noticing the woman who sat on his right. A young Eastern-European accented doctor (he had heard her accent when she had asked if she could seat down) that almost looked like a model. High, long smooth brown hair, dark eyes. Long legs that she kept crossed revealing her thighs under the short skirt short sleeves powder color gown. She listened carefully to Cuddy's report taking notes. 

During the lunch break she was ahead of him as he was waiting to take his plate from the buffet table in the hotel garden. 

"Good morning, can I sit down?" she asked pointing at the empty seat at House's table. 

He nodded. "Sure." he said 

"I'm Dr. Dominika Petrova" she said extending her hand to shake his. "I recently take a job at the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital E.R." 

"Gregory House" he said shaking her hand back. 

"I know - she said smiling with admiration - You're a legend. I can't wait to listen your presentation in the afternoon" 

Dominika was a beautiful Russian woman. She was brilliant and funny and the conversation turned unexpectedly and surprisingly pleasant, although House couldn't however avoid launching occasionally a look at the other side of the garden where Cuddy, sitting in front of Dr. Hunt, was smiling and turning a strand of hair in her fingers. 

Even Cuddy had noticed the beautiful brunette at House's table. She felt a knot in her stomach at the sight of the way he laughed at that woman's jokes. They both kept a hand on the table, he monkeying with his glass, she with her towel, but their hands were so close they were almost touching. Cuddy couldn't deny that that woman could be House's type... young, beautiful, elegant, and possibly with a functioning brain. She was sitting at her table talking with an handsome and attractive surgeon and hospital director who seemed very interested in her but she couldn't help but thinking of House ... 

The meeting continued in the afternoon, and House's presentation on "Difficulties in diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of ischemic arterial limb" picked acclaim. He hated public speaking even if he was great at it. The audience hung off his words. Cuddy looked at him as, after thanking and finishing his speech, he walked casually without a limp and sat down next to her. Their legs touched as he passed near her to sit on her left, but both pretended not to pay attention at that trying to let not show through that that little contact was enough to send them shivers down their spines. 

At 5 p.m. Dr. Catherine Avery, President of the Foundation, thanked everyone for its participation and interest in and renewed the invitation to the gala dinner which was held a few hours later. 

"See you tonight Dr. House" Dominika greeted him with a smile that seemed _mischievous_ to Cuddy ... 

"See you tonight" House said. 

She walked past him, glanced at Cuddy, and headed for the exit of the conference room swaying her hips like a model in a fashion show. Cuddy looked at that woman's walk toward the exit and then looked questioningly at House. 

"May I have to call the _Fire Department_?" He asked her suppressing a smile and looking straight into her eyes 

"What?" Cuddy asked taken aback ... 

"Just in case your eyes electrocute her along the way ..." This time he let out that smile ... 

"... I don't ... I don't ... oh, forget it." she said looking away. Sometimes it seemed that he could read her mind! 

"Ok. - House said changing the subject- I really need a shower! See you in a couple of hours, Cuddy." He hesitated a moment ... "I'll pick you up or ...?" 

"Sure - she answered with a smile- I'll meet you at 8 p.m. o'clock"


	14. My Immortal

**[The song my Immortal by Evanescence inspired me on writing this story, so in a sort of way this is the central chapter of my story. I suggest you to listen to this beautiful song (with it's gorgeous chords for piano and violin) reading the story.]**

* * *

 **[It's not essential to be a fan of Grey's Anatomy for reading this story but it would help to better taste it. In my story House and Cuddy's events intersect with those of "Grey's Anatomy" although the episodes of the two series are actually shifted by a few years.]**

* * *

It was 8 p.m. and in the large room on the ground floor, in front of the hotel garden, everything was ready for the famous Avery Foundation Gala.

The round tables, set around the dance floor, were elegantly set with white tablecloths and even the chairs were white. On every table there were china crockery and silver cutlery and a refined centerpiece of fresh flowers and candles.

At the entrance of the hall there were the bar area and a long table with glasses of champagne and appetizers.

Across the hall, in front of the tables and the dance floor, there was the stage with a piano at one side. Like every year, during the evening on that stage would be awarded the prestigious Harper Avery Award, but this year the event also included a most intimate moment, a memorial in memory of those surgeons whose Grey-Memorial Sloan Hospital took the name a few months ago.

* * *

House knocked on Cuddy's room door and waited for her to come to open resting his hand against the door frame.

Opening the door she thought he was really very charming in his black tuxedo with black bow tie and white shirt.

"Hi" she said "Come in, I'm ready. I just have to take my clutch purse"

He looked at her and felt speechless. She was wearing a long black Coco Chanel dress that wrapped her perfectly. It had a deep rip on her left leg and a boat neckline finished with Swarovski crystals. Her sandals were studded with Swarovski crystals too and a diamonds bracelet enhanced her left wrist. She had her hair gathered in a soft chignon.

House thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and that dress was great although it was strangely high-necked. He was just a little... _displeased ._.. that she had decided to hide her gorgeous cleavage ... until she turned around giving him her back to take her clutch purse from the night stand ...

House had to use all his self-control to restrain an exclamation of pleasure. _"Oh. my. God."_ His inner self shouted.

The dress with modest boat neck on the front side revealed instead a very deep V-neck on the back adorned with a string of Swarovski crystals framing her shoulders and neck and then going down the entire length of her back in a long precious and shining string. Certainly she wasn't wearing a bra. And that extremely deep back neckline showed off her gorgeous ass.

Not many women had a body like that and could afford to wear a dress like that. Her calmness and elegance could still surprise him after twenty years. And she was so terribly sexy that now he tremendously felt the need of a cold shower.

"Ready" she said walking towards him with a smile as he looked into her eyes speechless.

"You're beautiful ..." he said in a voice that betrayed how much incredibly beautiful he really found her. He wanted to find a joke to break the tension, but could not find anything smart to say.

She replied just with a smile, sincerely struck by the tone of his voice.

* * *

House didn't like galas, he didn't like having to shake hands, do smiles, strike up conversations, much less be forced to dance, but tonight he was part of the show and couldn't run away. For now he stood in a corner, near the bar, sipping a glass of Dom Pérignon and looking around. He couldn't take his eyes off from Cuddy as Dr. Hunt was introducing her to some members of the Foundation. Hunt then led her to the dinner table. House couldn't help but noticing Hunt's hand that touched lightly Cuddy's back while he gallantly led her to the main table, at the center of the room right in front of the dance floor and the stage.

House sat down at the main table too between Miranda Bailey and Richard Webber, in front of Cuddy, who was already sitting with Hunt to her left and Meredith Grey at her right. At the same table were even seated Catherine and Jackson Avery, Derek Shepherd, Cristina Young and Callie Torres.

The conversation turned out to be more enjoyable than House expected. It was lucky for him to be sitting next to Dr. Bailey. After all he liked that brusque and direct doctor. She was really an interesting woman though she wasn't physically he's type...not at all... And from that seat he had an excellent view of Cuddy that at that time was laughing probably at a Hunt's joke, touching her neck with her hand.

The menu included a delicious French cuisine. A starter of watercress cream with croutons. An assortment of main course dishes: lamb with potatoes, carrots, peas, onions and mustard sauce or salmon fillet with dill sauce and a side of potatoes and artichokes or French cheeses with honey sauce and a side of asparagus. As dessert a dark chocolate soft cake with vanilla ice cream and blackberries and raspberries sauce. All with a great Bordeaux.

House looked at Cuddy as she took a little piece of asparagus from her vegetarian dish carrying it to her mouth. She was chatting with Meredith. Public relations were part of her daily work and she felt comfortable in that context, unlike him.

In practice, though, that night she didn't feel perfectly at ease. Meredith was nice and also a great surgeon but her sixth month pregnant belly made her felt a bit uncomfortable and awakened unpleasant memories. At least they both had a 3 years old daughter which temporarily shifted their conversation about the difficulties of being a mother in career. But she had a man next to her ...

She tasted the delicious cake and felt the chocolate melt on her tongue, releasing all its intense and enveloping aroma ...and suddenly a phrase that House had said a year earlier sounded in her mind _"I just have to press enter and tomorrow at this time we'll eat croissants and we'll be insulted by nasty people "._ That night they had fantasized about a trip to Mont Saint Michel planning to go there as soon as possible, but in the end ... that desire hadn't come true. She looked up from her plate and caught his look across the table. She bit her lower lip mixing her gray-blue eyes with his deep blue. Once again, she felt like he knew what she was thinking about... She swallowed hard and looked down turning to Hunt that had just touched her arm to get her attention.

The music had started to play and the dance floor slowly had begun to fill up.

"Do you wanna dance?" Hunt asked looking at Cuddy as the notes of _I don't wanna miss a thing by Aerosmith_ began to resonate in the room.

"Sure" she said smiling.

They moved on the dance floor while House followed them with his eyes even though he was now in the middle of a conversation with Miranda Bailey. Hunt hold her hand in his, resting his other hand on her bare back. Her hand was on his shoulder and they moved slowly in accord to the music. Sometimes he whispered a few words in her ear and she couldn't suppress a smile. They looked like a lovely couple, certainly not at House's eyes.

Dr. Dominika Petrova was sitting at a table with some colleagues. She had stayed aside while the songs kept coming watching people dancing, but now that the atmosphere of the evening was more loose, she decided not to pass up that opportunity. She approached House's table on the last notes of _With or without you_ _by U2_.

"I beg your pardon Dr. Bailey" she approached "but Dr. Burke asked me to ask you if you can reach him at his table"

"Oh ... sure ... thank you Dr. Petrova," she said looking at her with the look she usually reserved for those who she didn't esteem very much, then turned to House "Excuse me House, maybe we can continue our conversation later."

House gave her a nod and hint of a smile "Sure" he replied.

"Good evening Dr. House" Dominika greeted him with a mischievous smile.

"Good evening Dr. Petrova" he replied gallantly admiring her red dress with plunging neckline, a waist band and a short skirt that highlighted her curves. She was certainly a beautiful woman, but she hadn't certainly Cuddy's elegance, he thought.

"Shall we dance?" she asked taking his hand and pulling him toward the dance floor. It was a statement rather than a question and even if he didn't like to dance, he couldn't refuse.

Now House and Dominika were hand in hand. She kept a hand on his shoulder, he kept his hand on her back...and the words of _"Not as we" by Alanis Morissette_ playing in the background couldn't sound spot on for that situation.

 ** _... Day one, day one_**

 ** _Start all over again  
Step one, step one  
I'm barely making sense_**

 ** _for now I'm faking it_**

 ** _'til I'm pseudo-making it_**

 ** _from scratch begin again_**

 ** _but this time_**

 ** _I as I and not as we..._**

Cuddy couldn't help but think about that words, and even she couldn't notice House close to Dominika, especially when at one point she pressed closer to him resting her forehead on his shoulder. He made an expression that betrayed his discomfort. He didn't like being in such a situation, but he said nothing and continued to dance.

He and Dominika and Hunt and Cuddy were a few steps from each other when the song ended and for a moment he met Cuddy's eyes. House thought it couldn't let escape that moment and gently pulled away from Dominika addressing Hunt and Cuddy before a new song started.

"May I?" he said looking at Hunt and Cuddy. Hunt glanced at him but for education he couldn't escape that request.

"Sure" he replied leaving Cuddy's hand and taking Dominika's hand. "See you later, Lisa" he said.

Cuddy looked at House with a smile mixed with amazement as the notes of the beautiful _One by U2_ began to resound into the room.

" _Your_ Dr. Petrova didn't seem enthusiastic about your move, House"

"Not even _your_ Dr. Hunt" he said emphasizing the word _your_. "But don't worry - he added - Dominika will surely find someone else to be comforted by" he said with a vaguely mischievous air.

"More than a medical doctor she looks like an ... _escort_ " Cuddy let out, however immediately feeling a little guilty for that statement.

"Wow! Strong affirmation, Dr. Cuddy!" House laughed looking into her eyes "I'm not sure that it's your professional side speaking ..." and he gave her another sharp and mischievous look.

Cuddy felt like she could get lost in those eyes and looked down. Then she looked up meeting House's gaze again.

"This is our fourth dance, House" she laughed to break the tension that was now palpable between them "Be careful ... you may enjoy it as well."

"You too" he unexpectedly replied with a smile looking straight into her eyes as she responded to his smile biting her lower lip.

He took her hand in his and hesitated before touching her bare back with his other hand. Touching her skin after months of abstinence gave him shivers down his spine. She felt as if her skin was burning beneath his fingers. She wanted to put her head on his chest as that Petrova did just before, but she lacked the courage ... it would have been too intimate. He should have wanted her to do that. He inhaled her _J'Adore_ and felt overwhelmed by the same feelings he had felt during the months they were together.

And the words sang _by Bono_ in the background once again couldn't be more spot on ...

 ** _Did I disappoint you_**

 ** _Or leave a bad taste in your mouth_**

 ** _You act like you never had love_**

 ** _And you want me to go without_**

 ** _Well it's..._**

 ** _Too late_**

 ** _Tonight_**

 ** _To drag the past out into the light_**

 ** _We're one, but we're not the same_**

 ** _We get to_**

 ** _Carry each other_**

 ** _Carry each other_**

 ** _One..._**

 **[...]**

 ** _You say_**

 ** _Love is a temple_**

 ** _Love a higher law_**

 ** _Love is a temple_**

 ** _Love the higher law_**

 ** _You ask me to enter_**

 ** _But then you make me crawl_**

 ** _And I can't be holding on_**

 ** _To what you got_**

 ** _When all you got is hurt_**

 ** _One love_**

 ** _One blood_**

 ** _One life_**

 ** _You got to do what you should_**

 ** _One life_**

 ** _With each other_**

 ** _Sisters_**

 ** _Brothers_**

 ** _One life_**

 ** _But we're not the same_**

 ** _We get to carry each other_**

 ** _Carry each other_**

 ** _One...life_**

 ** _One_**

They both were overwhelmed by the same sensations, so lost in each other that almost didn't notice the music that ended up on the dance floor to make way on the stage for the arrival of Dr. Catherine Avery, President of the Avery Foundation, for the second part of the evening: the assignment of the prestigious Avery award and then the commemoration.

House removed his hand from Cuddy's back still holding her hand for a moment and looking into her eyes. For a moment his thumb stroked gently her hand. Then he let her go smiling and saying:

"You were right ... I might enjoy it as well!"

She smiled without answering as they came side by side back to their table sitting down next to Hunt.

Hunt smiled back and glanced at House watching him from across the table.

On the stage Dr. Catherine Avery had been reached by her son Jackson, representative of the Avery Foundation in the Board of Directors of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. She was waiting for people sitting down again at their tables before beginning the award ceremony.

"Thank you to everyone for being here tonight" she said in a solemn manner. "Like every year I'm here tonight to appoint this prestigious award that my grandfather, Dr. Harper Avery, wanted several years ago. Even this year I am in fact here to reward the excellent results of a young surgeon whose work could open the doors to innovation and laid the foundations for progress in surgical techniques. I want this to be an incentive to improve every day in our work that is first of all and foremost a mission. We must always keep in front of our eyes our purpose, our primary purpose ... saving lives. Obviously - she said with a wide smile - we are medical doctors, we are surgeons, but we first of all are women and men and ... we wouldn't be who we are right now if we had not pervaded, as well by human sense, by a strong ambition. The ambition is what keeps us going on, overcoming every day the many difficulties that we have to face. "

She paused while the audience applauded. She smiled and continued.

"This year is a great honor for me to award the Harper Avery prize - and paused to suspense- to Dr. Danielle Eleonore Nicefield, neonatal cardiac surgeon, for her studies on new in utero approaches to congenital heart defects. Dr. Nicefield is part of Dr. Preston Xavier Burke staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland "

There was a long applause as the young doctor walked toward the stage. She was a short blond haired thirty years old doctor. She shook hands with Dr. Catherine Avery and Dr Jackson Avery and made a short speech of thanks.

"I am honored - she said - to receive the same prize that my teacher, Dr. Preston Burke, received years ago. I know that he is a surgeon estimated from all of you and many of you have known him personally during the years he spent working at Seattle Grace. I hope that this award will bring me the same luck that brought him and could really contribute in the future to improve the lives of many children and many parents. Certainly in my years at Hopkins University I learned that nothing is impossible when there are perseverance and skill. Surgical interventions, as the Blalock-Taussig shunt for Fallot tetralogy, which seemed unthinkable in the past, are now daily in our operating rooms. Just seventy years ago cardiac surgery seemed impossible, but Vivien Thomas, whose name appears today in many corners of our hospital and our University is, and must continue to be, an incredible example of how even the most difficult obstacles can be overcome with commitment and dedication. Today the new frontier for us is to intervene directly on heart defects in the mother's womb to give to those little unborn babies a real hope of life. Dr. Burke often repeats that _the only one who can do promises is God, and God has never been seen with a scalpel in his hand_ ... I think that, certainly we can't replace us at God and His supreme will, but of course I like even to remember the words that Dr. Blalock said to Vivien Thomas, his assistant, after their famous surgical intervention _... this work seems to be have done by God in person._ ... Thank you. Thank you very much! "

The applause invaded the room at the end of Dr. Nicefield's speech. She shook hands again and came down from the stage, smiling back at the admiring glances she met on her way toward her table.

Dr. Catherine Avery spoke again.

"Well, even this year the award was deservedly awarded, but tonight I want to add a special mention at this ceremony." She paused briefly "As you know the surgeons working at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital can't run for the Avery award because of the conflict of interest. The hospital is in fact partially funded by Avery Foundation. However in recent weeks the team of Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Torres successfully attempted a new surgical technique that gave a first amazing result in the treatment of disability from arterial ischemia of the lower limbs. We hope that this result is only a starting point to open a new horizon for patients with this disease. The research project will begin in the incoming months and it will see the collaboration of our hospital with Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, New Jersey. We expect great results that we hope to see published in the next future on the most authoritative medical magazines. " She made a little break and turned her gaze toward the main table making a gesture with her hand" Dr. Derek Shepherd and Dr. Callie Torres...please, stand up to enjoy a well-deserved round of applauses ... "

Shepherd and Torres stood up and made a sign of thanks with their head while the whole room warmly applauded them. House applauded them too meeting Cuddy's eyes across the table.

When the applause ended Catherine Avery took the microphone again.

"And now - she said - I want to invite here next to me an esteemed colleague, worldwide famous, but sometimes un-famous - she grinned - ... Dr. Gregory House, Head of Diagnostics at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital."

House got up from the table reading in Cuddy's eyes her amazement for that invitation. He hadn't told her that he had to make a speech as a guest during the gala and she knew how much he was uncomfortable in those situations. She was accustomed to meetings with donors and charity evenings, he instead felt at ease only in his office, throwing his red and white ball against the wall and solving his diagnostic puzzles. He hated public speaking and hated feeling _exposed..._ she generally found it hard even to convince him to give lessons to students ...

House walked casually up to the stage, went up the few steps and warmly shook hands with Jackson and Catherine. She gave him the microphone.

"It 's really weird for me to be here tonight. - he began - Those who know me well enough know that I'm not really sociable and I don't often attend nights like this, but tonight ... really I couldn't refuse this invitation ... " he gallantly smiled turning to Catherine. "It is even more strange for me to be here among you for once in my life not only as a medical doctor but also as a medical case ..." he paused again looking at Shepperd and Torres.

"Dear backers and donors - he used a slightly sarcastic tone, perfectly in House style - tonight I am the proof of which you are asked to invest your money in..." He looked at the audience and then continued with a firmer and more professional tone "For almost fifteen years I had had a disability caused by an ischemia in my right leg. The surgeons wanted to amputate but then it was preferred a surgical intervention of vessel re-canalization and removal of necrotic muscle but that couldn't avoid suffering muscle and nerve. The result was an injured leg, with limp and important persistent chronic pain. " He took a little break and before shooting... "You can learn to live with the disability, the less easy it is to live with a persistent pain that sometimes makes it difficult even to think and prevented social relationships." "Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Torres - he looked at them smiling pointing out at them to attract their attention - you used me as a _guinea pig_ for your experiments, but ... I can only continue to thank you for this! There's nothing better than a desperate patient who allow you have available his body! " He laughed as Shepherd and Torres laughed with him.

The audience gave a long and sincere applause. House had his own way of involving people, but when he spoke listeners almost held their breath so much their degree of attention was.

"I am glad to contribute to this research project. I'll personally supervise this project obviously with the cooperation of our Dean of Medicine and Director of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Dr. Lisa Cuddy." he said again.

He glanced at Cuddy with a hint of a smile that she returned, before turning to Dr. Avery and adding.

"There are many ways to save a life Dr. Avery ... I save lives every day diagnosing rare and mysterious diseases that otherwise would lead patients to certain death ... you save lives every day with surgeries that literally give a new life to your patients ... well, I can just thank you tonight because, even if you haven't saved my life in the literal sense of the word, you gaveve me back a life worthy of that name ... Thank you! "

Everyone in that room applauded that sincere heartfelt thanks, but the eyes of House couldn't break away from Cuddy. She was applauding too and he could read in her eyes her deep emotion for that speech so professional and yet very personal.

"Thank you, Dr. House. I have no doubt that our teams will do great things together" Dr. Avery thanked him warmly shaking his hand. "And I really want to thank you - she added in a sweeter and less professional tone - also for accepting our own particular request, allowing us to pay tribute in a special way to some our dear friends who can't be here with us anymore ... "

House gave a nod with his head and softly added "The pleasure is mine ..." while Jackson Avery took the microphone from his mother's hands.

"It's time to me to introduce - he said - the most touching moment of this evening, at least for the most of us... We talked about brilliant surgeons and young promises of the surgery, but for all of us working at the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital the thought goes right to our friends ... Lexie and Mark ... brilliant surgeons died almost an year ago in a plane crash that changed forever the lives of many of us. They were on that plane because they were part of a team of selected doctors for a delicate surgery of separation of Siamese twins in Boise, Idaho. They didn't ever participate at that surgical intervention. All of us - and he pointed to the main table - strongly wanted that the Seattle Grace changed its name in Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, and tonight we want to remember them with the same melody that accompanied last year their funeral ... "

Jackson gave a nod to House that moved slowly toward the piano in the left corner of the stage, while a black dressed young violinist, Molly Thomson Grey, Lexie's sister, entered the stage stopping near the piano.

"Lexie ... Mark ..." Jackson said with tears in his eyes as his voice betrayed his emotion "we won't forget you ..." and came down from the stage with her mother leaving the scene to House and Molly.

The audience was serious and composed as it would be at a funeral.

Cuddy couldn't take her eyes off House, incredulous that he was the one paying tribute to Dr. Grey and Dr. Sloan. When he was younger and attended the College he used to play in a band and he used to perform in public too, but then he had closed on himself and now his piano performances were reserved only for himself or very few elected people.

He looked at her with his piercing eyes during the few silent moments that preceded the music. He didn't look at a random point in the room, he didn't look at Meredith, Lexie's sister, or at Derek, Mark's best friend ... in those few seconds he stared at her... just before lowering his eyes on the white and black keys to begin that solemn moment ...

The notes of _"My Immortal by Evanescence"_ began to resonate in the hall while his experienced fingers moved on the piano keys releasing those perfect chords that give everyone gooseflesh. His voice was low and sensual as he sang to a lower shade than the original version, adapted to his male voice. He closed his eyes as he played as to better savor each note.

 ** _I'm so tired of being here_**

 _ **Suppressed by all my childish fears**  
 **And if you have to leave**  
 **I wish that you would just leave**  
 **'Cause your presence still lingers here**  
 **And it won't leave me alone**_

House opened his eyes and looked at Cuddy again continuing to play those beautiful arrangements. She felt a chill down her spine, as if the words of that song was not only dedicated to the memory of Grey and Sloan, but ... somehow ... to her...

 ** _These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that_**

 ** _time cannot erase_**

 **When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears**  
 **When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears**

 ** _I held your hand through all of these years_ _  
But you still have  
All of me_**

House looked away and closed his eyes again focusing on the agreements and singing.

 ** _You used to captivate me_**

 ** _By your resonating light  
Now I'm bound by the life  
you left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me_**

He stared at her again on those words ... _...it chaised away all the sanity in me..._ and another shudder ran through her back

 ** _These wounds won't seem to heal_**

 ** _This pain is just too real_**

 ** _There's just too much that  
time cannot erase  
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears __  
I held your hand through all of these years_ _  
But you still have  
All of me_**

The notes of the violin flooded the room on the last part of the melody sparking goose bumps to most of the listeners. The eyes of Derek, Meredith, Young and Bailey were teary at the memory of their lost friends, Cuddy could barely hold back the tears ... those words could really perfectly have been written for her relationship with House ...

 _I've tried so hard to tell myself  
that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along_

His fingers moved now faster on the keys as his eyes carefully followed the movement of the fingers. Actually he didn't need to look at those keys... those notes were almost merged with his soul, as he played he was one with his music.

On last chorus House shifted his gaze again from the piano to the audience and again he looked for her eyes.

He was looking at her ... he wasn't looking a random point in the hall ... he looked straight at her as if that words were for her ... if those notes were for her ...

 ** _When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears __  
I held your hand through all of these years_ _  
But you still have  
All of me _**

House closed his eyes on the latest chords, listening only to those chords ... until the last note ... until he lifted his hands from the piano keys and stood for a moment surrounded by the silence ...

It was only a brief moment before the whole audience would rise up and fill the silence with a very long applause.

Even House stood up and joined that applause in memory of those unfortunate young fellow. His eyes still fixed only on her ... on Cuddy.

She held his gaze although her view was blurred by tears. She wiped away some tears that began to run down her cheeks. ... he wanted to be there with her, to dry those tears with his hand ... He look at her as she bit her lip and repeatedly swallowed trying not to break down and let go.

Those words underlined by the intensity of his voice were constantly ringing in her mind ... _but you still have all of me_ ... and she suddenly felt as gasping for air, as if she couldn't breathe ...

While the applause slowly faded and Catherine and Jackson returned to the stage to shake hands with House and Molly, Cuddy whispered _"Excuse me ..."_ before exiting the room trying to keep her composure as she walked through the people.

House noticed her as she walked away and left the hall toward the exit facing the garden.

* * *

 **[Again...if you haven't listen to "My Immortal by Evanescence" yet, please listen to it because since I wrote this story every time I heard this song I can see House playing that chords on the piano. And that violin really gives goose bumps.]**

 **[I'm not American and I never visited USA so I never visited Hopkins University too. I just googled and took a few data about Hopkins from web, so I hope not to have written stupid things]**

 **Please...review!**


	15. I love you

**[Here I am with another very moving chapter...enjoy! ...and please let me know if you like it and if I have to go on...leave a review!]**

* * *

Cuddy went into the garden and took a few steps into that cool late June night. She took a deep breath, feeling the tension slowly melt away. Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning a little as the nausea returned to tighten her stomach. She approached the bench in front of the early twentieth century French style fountain and leaned her hand to find support before sitting down. The stars in the sky was partly obscured by black clouds that heralded a summer storm. The cool breeze gave some shivers down her bare back, but she needed to clear a bit her mind.

 _Was it all real or was her imagination joking her? Was it actually happening? Did House really wanted to emphasize with his stare, that piercing gaze of him, that that song spoke of them too? Did he really meld those beautiful eyes with her to dedicate her those words or was it just her impression?_

She didn't know what to think ... she wanted things between them could be simpler and not always so complicated ...

* * *

House had followed her with his eyes as she walked away from the room. To foreign eyes could go unnoticed, but he could read in her eyes when she was upset, though she was actually very good at keeping her composure in public. He knew he wasn't only emotion what clouded those beautiful eyes of her...

Dr. Avery shook House's hand again and thanked him for his wonderful performance, before calling on stage Dr. Hunt, director of the Memorial Sloan-Grey, for the closure of that part of the evening. Hunt took the stage and shook hands with House, who took his leave with a nod, letting the audience's attention entirely turned to the words of the administrator.

He came down from the stage toward the exit of the room, shaking hands with those who stretched it to him to congratulate. He saw Dominika approaching and wanted to slip away but she was right next to the exit and he couldn't avoid her even if he had wanted.

"Congratulations Dr. House. It 'was really moving ... ..." he said in a soft voice "You're really full of surprises and talent ..."

"Thanks Dr. Petrova" he replied trying to hide his embarrassment. He was well aware of his qualities and knew he had talent both as a medical doctor and as a pianist and singer, but he didn't like being in the center of attention in that way, nor loved all those syrupy pleasantries. He had agreed to actively participate in that commemoration because he felt compelled to return a favor to Shepperd. Derek had heard House playing several times in University time, when he used to play in a club in the evening to help pay his studies, and in front of his request he couldn't refuse. Or rather, he had refused at first, but then faced with the insistence of Shepperd, he felt he couldn't continue to refuse and had given up ...

"I was thinking ... you might offer me something to drink - Dominika invited him - and I think I'm owed at least one dance from you" she added with a mischievous look and moving closer to him, touching the hem of his jacket collar.

If he had not had another woman in his mind, he certainly would be intrigued by that thirty-years-old enterprising and undoubtedly sexy girl. She was certainly accustomed to get always what she wanted, at least by men. He smiled to himself as he thought about the comment that Cuddy had made on her ... she seems an _escort_ ... she had told him as they danced ... Looking at her now he had to admit that her ways really resembled those of a ... _class prostitute_. If he had wanted an evening with happy-ending with her, he probably wouldn't have even to wait until the end of the evening. ... But that wasn't the _happy-ending_ he had in mind for that evening, she wasn't the woman he wanted to tighten in his arms that night ...

"Uhm ... I'm sorry" he politely said removing Dominika's hand from his jacket "I have to solve a question first... ..." he hesitated a moment, then he added jokingly, to break the embarrassment "I can't postpone it ... a matter of life or death ... maybe later "

"Sure - Dominika smiled trying to hide her disappointment at the rejection - "See you later, then" she said giving him another mischievous look as she walked away.

* * *

He went out into the garden and looked around. He saw her sitting on the bench. He could actually just see her back as she sat looking at the fountain. He walked slowly toward her trying not to scare her. He took off his jacket and put it gently on her shoulders covering her bare back. She had a brief and imperceptible jump at that unexpected touch, but stood motionless deeply inhaling the scent of him on that jacket and suddenly feeling a great sense of protection. She didn't need to turn around to know who he was ...

She was a strong and confident woman, she had been the youngest director of a hospital, at work she always knew what to do and how to face any problem... every day as ... boss ... woman ... mother ... but now...now she felt incredibly fragile, vulnerable, as if all her confidence had suddenly vanished, she felt like a trembling and scared little girl ... She closed her eyes and stood there motionless, silent, just listening to the sound of her heartbeat and to his breath behind her ...

He was silent for a moment too, listening to the sound of water.

"I did it again..." he whispered behind her watching the water running in the fountain with a serious look.

"What?" her trembling voice was just a whisper. She continued to give him her back clutching in that jacket impregnated with his scent.

"I make you cry ... I did it again" he said

"... it's not your fault ..." she said softly turning to look at him "really, House, is not your fault ..."

"I ...- Cuddy continued after a moment of hesitation - ... I feel the most screwed-up person in the world" she didn't looked down continuing to keep her eyes fixed on his ...

They both remembered the night she had told him... _I know you're screwed-up. I know you'll always be screwed-up. But you're the most incredible man I've ever known ... and you'll always be, for me, the most incredible man I've ever known ..._

He smiled and shook his head not looking away from her "Weird ... I always thought that _I_ was the most screwed-up person in the world..."

Listening to those words she couldn't suppress a little smile.

"Well, we are just a nice couple then" he commented as they continued to look at each other with a bitter smile. He sat beside her on the bench.

"House, I ..." Cuddy began, but he talked first ...

"We can't go back, Cuddy. I don't want to patch up a ripped relationship ..." He sighed as she looked down and continued to bite her lower lip to keep from letting go, not wanting to show how those words had shocked and upset her...

But he lifted her chin with his hand and stared at her. He looked at those wonderful eyes glistening with tears and wiped away with his thumb a tear that was running down her cheek.

"I love you, Lisa Cuddy ... - he whispered - I tried to stay away, I tried to change my life but the only thought in my mind is you... always you ... you're my first thought in the morning ... the last in the evening ... I have never felt so tied to someone in my life ... but ... I don't want that story back... I want more... "he paused for a breath before to continue ...

"I don't want another relationship with my boss ... I don't want another teenager relationship ... I don't want another relationship in which we both pretend to be who we are not ... We have been knowing each other for twenty years, Cuddy and yet we feel protected behind our respective surnames as if they were shields ... " he paused again as Cuddy was practically holding her breath ...

"Being House, a gruff, cold, unfriendly diagnostician, means for me to show the image of a strong person ... being Greg means having feelings and emotions such as feeling vulnerable ... ... and you and I are equal ... so ... I don't want another story with Dr. Lisa Cuddy, brilliant Dean of Medicine ... I want you _LISA,_ the stronger and the weaker part of you ...I want _you_ with your virtues and your lacks ... with your strength and your weaknesses ... I don't want to have to hide myself anymore behind sarcasm when I'm with you, I don't want to pretend to be confident because scared to show my weakness .. . and - he smiled, a sincere smile- I never felt so _true_ as in these last two days with you ... "

"We can re-start together ... if you really want it ... - he said in a whisper continuing to stroke her cheek with his thumb -we can re-start ... like Greg and Lisa ..."

She looked at him as awakening from a dream. She took his face in her hands stroking his beard for a moment before kissing him gently. Their lips touched as though they had never done before, gently, almost studying each other.

"Tell me that it's not a dream ... Greg ..." she whispered in his mouth as their lips touched.

"If so...please don't wake me up ..." he replied drawing her with greater transport transforming that pure and chaste first kiss in a passionate and overwhelming kiss that broke up all their doubts, their fears, their insecurities ...

"I love you Greg" she whispered when they had to move away in search of air.

"I love you Lisa" he whispered taking a breath before tighten her even closer in his arms and start kissing her again.

They continued to kiss on that bench, in the late-June cool night, as if they were the only two people on Earth, as if there were nothing more important in the world. Too many things were outstanding between them ... She pulled away from him and kissed his neck, inhaling the scent of his skin and then hiding her face in the crook of his neck while he held her tightly in his arms and kissed her head, lost in the scent of her hair, eyes closed. They stayed like that, as if that embrace should never end ...

"We should go back to the party before someone comes looking for us ..." he whispered without letting her go.

"Uhm ..." she replied. Hes _yes_ went lost as she continued to stand close to him not wanting to let him go ...

"We have all the night for us - he whispered with a smile - ...a lifetime ... - he paused - ... we can continue to wear our _mask of House and Cuddy_ still for a couple of hours..."

She replied with a nod continuing to huddle in his embrace.

"As a matter of fact I always thought you were a extremely sexy boss, _CUDDY_ ... and ... watching people literally hanging on your every word and turn to look at you when you walk ... well ... it's priceless ... when, at home, in our bed ... ... _LISA I_ know you are _mine_ ... "

She laughed and raised her head to meet his eyes again before drawing him into a last kiss.

"Okay, Dr. House, I waited twenty years ... I think I can resist another couple of hours" she answered with a wide wonderful smile.

"... but if that _Petrova_ flirt again with you... I swear I'll kill her!" she added still smiling but with a extremely mischievous look.

"Yes, _Mistress_!" He replied smiling back "You know I'm only yours!"

"You can bet" she replied.

They exchanged another little kiss, then Cuddy stood up taking away his jacket from her shoulders and handing it back to him.

"Ok - she said - you have to put this on and I absolutely need to go to the toilet to settle me before going back to the party ..."

"Ok ... see you there then ..." I whispered giving her a last sweet kiss on her forehead.

He watched her walk through the garden. He wasn't used to that feeling, it was still a new thing for him, but he felt really and sincerely... _happy_ "


	16. You are mine

House walked casually to the main table. 

Dr. Hunt was standing not far from the table speaking with Dr. Burke and Dr. Nicefield. Jackson was dancing with Dr. Kepner. He couldn't see Catherine Avery that probably had temporarily left the room or perhaps was sitting at some donor's table. Dr. Webber was discussing with Shepperd at the main table. Dr. Bailey was busy in a conversation with Cristina Young and Meredith and they all laughed probably at a very funny joke. Their _mojitos_ on the table certainly had helped to dissolve the conventions of that night. They turned to House as soon as he sat down. 

"Really amazing, House. That was a wonderful performance" Bailey congratulated "Too bad I'm already married ..." 

"If I already hadn't my ball and chain, Miranda - he joked - you'd be the first one on my list, you can bet!" 

They all laughed at his joke, and Cuddy watched them as she walked toward the table. Her had perfect make-up and hair and was gorgeous in her very elegant Chanel dress... none could even imagine what had happened just a few ago in the garden. 

He matched her gaze and they exchange a smile. 

"Lisa, where have you gone?" Hunt said taking her arm as she passed next to him. 

"I...just needed to make a phone call" she answered "My daughter woke up in the middle of the night and she didn't want to sleep anymore..." she smiled. 

It wasn't a real lie. She had phoned Rachel a few hours before. She always called her little girl to say _goodnight_ when she was out for work. 

"She for sure has to be a beautiful little girl" Hunt said "Is she at home with her father ...?" Hunt was clearly trying to know something more about her private life. It was no a mystery that he was flirting with her that night and he had noticed that she had no ring on her finger. 

"Rachel is ... at my mother's ..." she said. She glanced at House as he was sitting at the table. "Well...her _father_... is ... out for work too" she added hoping that he understood to have no chance with her that night. She didn't want to hurt him or be rude. Owen was a handsome and charming man and their work was very similar so they had a lot in common. He was kind, polite, gallant ... he could seem a perfect man, but she wasn't looking for a perfect man. She had already found the man of her life. 

Hunt weighed that answer. That woman fascinated him and, although now she had just made it clear that there was a man in her life, that didn't mean that she wouldn't welcome even a _distraction_ for that night ... He and Cristina Young had broken up six months ago and they were divorcing so now ... to flirt with another woman, a beautiful woman, gave him a sense of control, he felt he was no longer dependent on Cristina. Cuddy lived on the east coast and certainly a night with her wouldn't be anything more than an adventure, one exciting night of sex between two consenting adults. 

"May I offer you something to drink?" he gallantly asked her 

But she didn't have time to answer because House came up handing her the phone. "It's the hospital" he said "They need an authorization..." 

"Thanks" she said taking the phone from his hand and moving away from them to take that phone call. 

" Dr. Cuddy ..." she said into the receiver not being surprised to hear her own recorded voice of her own answering machine on the other side of the receiver. She smiled to herself trying to continue her recitation and pretending to talk on the phone with Dr. Wilson. House had taken her off from the embarrassment of that situation with Hunt who was now stuck in a boring conversation with Catherine Avery and an elegant seventy-years-old donor. 

"Thank you" she whispered returning the phone to House. 

"Anytime" he replied with a smile before taking her hand and pulling her on the dance floor ignoring her astonished look. 

"I told you that I might have liked it" he said with a mischievous smile enclosing her waist as she moved closer to him. 

"People will talk if you hold me like that, Dr. House ..." 

"Let them talk...Dr. Cuddy" he said smiling "I lied...I don't know if I can resist another two hours... I could punch _your_ Dr. Hunt's face" he joked laughing and making her laugh. 

"No...don't...don't...he's not _mine..._ but poor Hunt" she laughed shaking her head and staring at him. 

They were still laughing when Dominika Petrova approached them announcing her arrival in a impudent way, touching House's arm. 

House e Cuddy turned toward her as House continue to rest his hand on Cuddy's waist. 

"You aren't his boss tonight, Dr. Cuddy" she jokingly said staring at Cuddy "You should give him a little bit of space" she added smiling defiantly ...that didn't go unnoticed to Cuddy. 

"I think that's none of your business, Dr. Petrova"..." she sharply answered. House could see the fire burning in Lisa's eyes as Dominika stared at her. 

"Lisa..." he whispered touching her arm and looking for her eyes to calm her down. 

"I waited all the night...I think it's my turn now" Dominika said almost impatiently continuing to defiantly stare at Cuddy. 

"Oh ... I really don't think so" Cuddy laughed shaking her head as House continued to stroke her arm with his thumb trying to calm her down "I think, Dr. Petrova, that Dr. House is too much polite to say you what he's really thinking about..." she added. 

Dominika was beginning to feel uncomfortable realizing what challenging a powerful woman ten years older than her meant . But she didn't want to let Cuddy see that she was frightened and so she raised her head again and replied. 

"I think you are his boss at work, but you have no right to force him to spend all his time with you just because you are his boss!" 

" _Oh ...God.._." Cuddy sighed beginning to lose patience "... _first of all_ you are underestimating him, because he can perfectly _able to understand and take action_ and he's not at all here against his will. Second...I wish, Dr. Petrova, that your medical skill are much better than your observation capacity and than your manners...even if I sincerely doubt it... And third...I suppose you think you can have always whatever you want using your body and... perhaps sex...and you really choose the wrong work then because that old work has a name... prostitution!" Cuddy's words were sharp and House rolled his eyes repressing a smile. He thought he was looking at a lioness defending its territory. 

Dominika opened her mouth to speak, but Cuddy didn't let her time to do it...now she was really very angry ...and she really wanted to finish her. 

"How the philosopher Jagger used to say, Dr. Petrova, _you can't always have whatever you want._ So, I just tell you one time... Stay away from my boyfriendor I swear I'll show you what I can do!" her voice was firm and confident and she had clearly pronounced the word _boyfriend_. 

Dominika turned pale. 

"I'm sorry Dr. Cuddy - she stammered - I didn't...I didn't know... " she looked at House to find support. He looked at her with a bit of compassion. He really didn't want to be inDominika's shoes. Certainly she was young but this wasn't a justification for her audacity and arrogant approach. 

"I'm so sorry ... - she added -...I'm really sorry Dr. Cuddy..." she lowered her eyes and turned away exiting the hall as fast as possible. 

Cuddy looked at House "I'm sorry - she whispered - I may have a little _exaggerated_ ... " 

"I like when you are jealous..." he whispered in her ear as he hold her again in his arms and bent down to kiss her neck. 

"Get me out of here ..." she whispered closing her eyes and resting her forehead on his chest. 

* * *

**[For those who haven't figured out ... I never liked Dominika ;) ]**


	17. In your arms

**[This chapter contains explicit sexual content, so you are warned!**

* * *

The scene on the dance floor went unnoticed to many people but not all of them. Hunt couldn't hear what Lisa and Dominika were talking about and couldn't even see Lisa's face but just her back, but he didn't escape House's hand stroking her waist. That wasn't just closeness among colleagues ... And his assumption was confirmed when shortly after House hold her tighter in his arms and kissed her neck as she bent down her head as if it were the most natural gesture in the world. When she had told him " _her father ... is out for work too"_ referring to her little girl, he hadn't absolutely imagined that she was referring to ... House. He felt uncomfortable and looked away. Luckily he hadn't done a mess!

House and Cuddy approached their table.

"It was a wonderful evening but I'm really tired ..." Cuddy said watching Derek and the others "See you tomorrow morning."

"I'd better come with you and assure that you don't get lost in the corridors" House joked watching Cuddy and putting an arm around her shoulders, smiling. Cuddy smiled back. They greeted again and took their leave, leaving their colleagues to fantasize and speculate on what they had just seen on that dance floor.

* * *

"I think our cover is blown now" Cuddy said smiling as the elevator doors closed.

"Awful actress ..." House laughed "... awful actress" he teased surrounding her back with his arm and pulling her tighter kissing her temple.

The elevator doors opened on the tenth floor. She took his hand as they walked down the hallway to the room 1022. She took the key from her clutch bag approaching it to the reader looking at the little red light turning green as the door opened.

"You know that _your_ philosopher Jagger wasn't always right, wasn't he?" She said watching House with a mischievous look and emphasizing the word _your_. That was a quote from House many years ago ... "Tonight ... Dr. House ... you can have anything you want!"

She kissed him passionately on the mouth putting on tiptoe and he couldn't help himself anymore. He lifted her in his arms, closed the door and crossed the room laying her on the bed. He stopped looking at her and she stared at him biting her lower lip once again. They both wanted to savor every moment of that night.

* * *

He lay down next to her and leaned down to kiss her neck caressing her breasts under the thin fabric of her dress. He could hear her breathing becoming more labored as he continued to tease her neck with his tongue and she stroked his nape.

Cuddy pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around him as he continued to torture her neck and to caress her thigh and leg. She removed his jacket and began to unbutton his shirt unable to contain the shivers down her spine caused by his kisses. She hadn't forgotten the sensations he was able to give her when they made love.

"Someone is impatient here!" He said stopping to kiss her neck and staring at her smiling mischievously.

She didn't answered and stared back at him before pulling him by his arms and forcing him to change position. Now he was lying with his back on the bed . He looked at her as she stood up and began to get slowly undressed. She slipped away the dress on the floor and he felt a chill in his groin at the sight of her bare breasts. Obviously she didn't wear a bra with that dress and now she was wearing only a black lace thong and her 5 inches heeled sandals. She untied her hair that fell over her shoulders.

"You're so beautiful ..." he whispered failing to take his eyes off her.

"...and you're too much dressed ..." she said with a mischievous smile straddling over him.

She kissed him passionately on the mouth feeling his tongue moving in perfect agreement with hers.

"I love you, Greg," she whispered in his mouth continuing to kiss him.

"I love you" he whispered breathlessly.

She removed his shirt and stroked his chest feeling his muscles under her fingers before starting to take off his belt, unbutton his pants and land them on the floor next to her evening dress.

"Much better ..." she smiled looking at him as he was now wearing only his skinny black boxer shorts. Surely now he couldn't hide anymore how much he wanted her.

He pulled her on the bed putting himself above her. He took off his boxers and slid her thong down her legs. He spread her legs to fit comfortably on top of her and began to kiss her again. He kissed her passionately on the lips before going down from her neck to her cleavage and her breast. He licked and sucked her right nipple torturing her left one with his hand. Now her nipples were hard with excitement and her breath was labored. Her hands stroked his back and buttocks. House slid his hand down her abdomen and lower down between her legs. He felt the moist heat between her legs and touched her repeatedly with the whole hand exciting her with slow and sure movements before going further and suddenly putting a finger inside her. Cuddy moaned and arched her back against his chest digging her nails into his back. He looked at her as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth surrendering to pleasure. He slipped another finger inside her continuing to move his fingers in and out of her and in a circular motion.

"Oh ... Greg ... oh God ..." Cuddy moaned with pleasure as her legs began to tremble almost at the height of pleasure. He wanted her to feel all the possible sensations that night ... " _Tonight ... Dr. House ... you can have anything you want!"_ she had told him just before entering the room and he was going to reserve her the same treatment ...

He removed his hand and for a moment she opened her eyes "... Oh God ... please ..." she pleaded meeting his gaze. He looked at her and lifted her legs putting his face between her thighs. He inhaled her scent and felt as if he could come just by looking at her. He puts his mouth on her and began to lick her, at first slowly as to taste her and then faster and faster as if to devour her. She felt the warmth of his breath and tongue and rolled her eyes arching her back even more and clutching the sheets and stifling the screams she couldn't afford to deliver. He continued to lick her feeling her legs to tremble more and more now just one step away from the height of pleasure.

"Oh ... Greg ... oh my... oh ... oh my God ... please ... don't stop ..." the words died out in her throat overwhelmed by the pleasure that only that man could give her.

He knew what drove her crazy, she knew how to tease every inch of her body ... He continued to lick and suck her until he felt her pleasure growing. He felt her legs to tremble more and more as she panted screaming his name with her back arched, her neck stretched out and her head turned back.

"Oh ... oh my... oh ... oh yes, Greg ... oh yes ..."

He loved to hear her moaning and calling his name as she climaxed. He raised his head and looked at her in all her beauty, her skin glistening with sweat. She pulled him closer to kiss him. Her blue eyes were dark with pleasure, her pupils were extremely dilated and House felt a shiver in his groin again, unable to contain his erection anymore. She looked at him with a smile and a mischievous look took the place of the entranced one.

She pulled him on the bed.

"It 's your turn" she said in a soft voice as he looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman on Earth.

She kissed and caressed his chest before continuing to kiss his abdomen and going further down. She kissed his legs and inner thighs. She wanted to torture him as he had done with her. She looked at him for a moment in his whole manhood. Since their one-night-stand in Michigan she hadn't forgotten how much sexually endowed he was. She surrounded his shaft with her hand and slowly moved her hand up and down. She could feel how excited he was. House groaned closing his eyes. She watched him closing his eyes and put herself half seated while his hand looked for her face between his legs. She met his gaze as she took his cock in her mouth sucking and licking it to savor every inch of it. She continued to rub it with her hand as she let it slide more and more into her mouth feeling shivers that pervaded her own body again as he was panting heavily.

"Oh God ... Lisa ..." he groaned stroking her hair. Now she felt that was taking him to the peak of pleasure.

"I don't want to come in your mouth..." he said meeting her gaze "I want to come inside you ..."

She didn't need to be told twice and shifted. He was just above her and between her legs. He kissed her passionately before penetrating her suddenly and with force. They both gasped at that sudden feeling of overwhelming pleasure. They looked straight at each other. He moved into her accelerating his pace to meet perfectly hers. At each thrust she closed her eyes. Now they were both sweaty and panting and felt in complete ecstasy.

"Are you on the pill?" he asked panting and moving inside her. She hesitated a moment

"... no ..." she said.

"Damn ..." he paused while remaining inside her "I don't have a condom ..." he said looking at her as if to apologize...

She gave him a mischievous look.

"Do you really would like to use a condom, Dr. House? ... The contact with your skin is driving me crazy..."

Those words sent a shiver down his spine.

"Don't you really care to risk getting pregnant, Dr. Cuddy?" he replied returning her gaze.

She closed her eyes, stroked his neck and kissed him, still moving slowly beneath him.

"I love you, Greg, and ... - she hesitated for fear of scaring him with what she wanted to say - you're the only man I have ever hoped to be impregnated by" she whispered into his mouth. She kept her eyes closed.

"Open your eyes" he said feeling her fear in her voice.

She opened her eyes and stared at him, standing motionless for a moment. He looked at her with his piercing eyes, kissed her once again and looked again at her moving away a lock of hair from her face.

"... So we haven't to waste time..." he said with a hint of a smile ...

She looked at him speechless ... _had he really just said in his own way that he wanted to have a baby with her?_

He canceled all her doubts when he pulled away from her before penetrating her again with force, leaving her breathless. He looked into her eyes and saw her pupils to dilate even more in that wave of pleasure. He moved in her with quick but deep thrusts as they found immediately their synchronized pace, moaning and gasping, losing in each other. House felt to be close to his climax, and Lisa too ...

"Are you sure?" he whispered in her mouth

"Yes ... I am ... if you are too ..." her words mingled with her moans as she felt to be to the limit of pleasure

He opened his eyes and looked at her "yes, Lisa ... I am ..." he whispered, his voice breaking with pleasure as he continued to penetrate her with more and more pressing rhythm. She climaxed and felt her orgasm overwhelmed her body in deep waves of pleasure for the second time that night.

He felt her walls tightening around his cock and that feeling sent him to the peak of pleasure. Feeling his liquid flood Lisa's body prolonged further his pleasure.

They collapsed on each other, sweaty and exhausted, still panting and they stayed embraced.

"I love you, Lisa" he said holding her tighter and covering her with the sheet while in turn he slipped under the sheets.

"I love you" she said, resting her head on his chest.

* * *

They made love twice that night before falling asleep embraced and naked, covered only by a thin sheet of white cotton.


	18. On the flight

House woke up at sunrise feeling the empty bed. He reached out without opening his eyes and found only the bed sheets.

He opened his eyes and looked around. 

She was sitting on the chair by the window and looked out, her thoughtfull eyes looking toward the town nestled in the dawn lights, the sky still dark after the storm of the night. 

"Hey - he said - is it all right?" 

She turned to him and smiled "Sure" she replied standing up and going to sit beside him on the bed, kissing him passionately on the mouth. 

"Good morning" she whispered. "Good morning" he said back, smiling. 

"I was thinking about yesterday ... I still can't believe it all really happened ..." she whispered kissing him again and clutching in his arms. 

"You'll believe it when you'll curse me during labor in nine months..." he said smiling 

She laughed and shook her head. "Greg ... I'm forty years old , I had a miscarriage and two failed attempts of in vitro five years ago ... I'm well aware that my chances of getting pregnant now are really very low" she said "but...if I won't get pregnant ... at least in the meantime we'll be enjoyed over and over again ..." she added with a mischievous look making slip on the ground her white soft bathrobe and tucking under the bed sheets near him. 

He held her in his arms and kissed her again caressing gently her skin. They made love again, but this time in a more gentle way that the night before like two lovers who are in love since lifetime, but not with less passion. They stayed a long embraced under the sheet until the alarm clock rang ... 

"The meeting is at 9 o'clock" said Cuddy "How about ordering breakfast at room-service?" 

"Sure" he said looking at her as she stood naked from the bed. 

She started to get up, but again, as a week ago, a wave of dizziness came over her blurring her view. She inhaled deeply sitting back on the bed, closed eyes. House was immediately near her. 

"Lisa, what's wrong?" 

She didn't answer, her eyes still closed. He felt her weak and fast pulse. She was very pale. 

"Lie down" he said helping her to lie down on the bed again. 

She opened her eyes meeting his worried eyes. 

"I'm fine" she said "I've always suffered from low blood pressure, Greg, since Michigan, do you remember?" She told him. "I just need to have breakfast ... let's say I _overworked_ tonight ..." she added with a smile. 

_He remembered that day in Michigan when she almost passed out before Professor Ericson's class. They had stayed in the garden and then had had lunch together. That night they went to a party and had slept together...that night was still in their memories after twenty years._

"Okay" he said smiling "but stay here still lying..." he kissed her gently on the lips. 

House ordered breakfast and went to take a shower. He liked the feeling of the hot water running down his face and down his neck. He suddenly opened his eyes, feeling a hand touching his chest. 

"You're a very bad patient" he said not hiding a smile 

"I know ..." she said smiling back and kissing his chest "I'm fine ... really" 

They washed each other in a steamy atmosphere inhaling the scent of the white musk and vanilla shower gel and shampoo. They washed and _massaged_ each other ... giving to each other an _additional pleasure_ in addition to that hot shower ... for the fourth time in less than eight hours ... They stayed a long in the shower kissing each other as if they would recover in two days the two months in which they were far away ... 

They ate breakfast wrapped in their soft bathrobes, in front of the open window on the balcony. Coffee, orange juice, fruit, eggs, bacon and toast. Cuddy took a few sips of juice and ate a small bowl of fresh fruit. 

"Eat this" he said House bringing a forkful of his scrambled eggs closer to her mouth. " 

"Please ... I really can't eat eggs" she pleaded as he tried to force her to have a breakfast a bit more nourishing than usual. 

"Really a very bad patient" repeated "how do you think you can raise your blood sugar level if you don't eat enough" he scolded ... "Rachel throws less tantrum than you" 

She sighed and took the forkful he tended her. 

"Good girl" he said smiling as she smiled back 

* * *

House returned to his room to get dressed and take his luggage before going back to Cuddy's room. She had get dressed too. He helped her to close her zipper on the back of the elegant short-sleeved cream-colored knee-length dress and to wear a pearls necklace. On her wrist she wore a double bracelet of pearls matched with the necklace. She was so beautiful that he was breathless. He wore a dark suit with a ironed light blue shirt but no tie. 

"I love how this shirt brings out your eyes" she said fixing his jacket collar. 

They shared a chaste kiss on the door and went down in the meeting room. In public they preferred to be _Dr._ _Cuddy and House_ again, but now, after last night, almost everyone knew that they weren't only colleagues but also ... lovers. 

The meeting lasted about three hours as they discussed the main points for the start of the research project. 

"What time is your flight?" Hunt asked turned to Cuddy and House. 

"In two hours ..." she said "we should be home round midnight... Princeton time." 

House turned to Cuddy touching her back and said "I'll be right back". She nodded. 

Hunt and House exchanged glances and House reached out to greet him. "Goodbye" he said. "Goodbye" Hunt said back shaking his hand. 

Hunt looked at Cuddy "You two are... together, right?" he asked before regretting that phrase "... I mean ... none of my business ... it's just that ..." 

"Oh ... no problem - Cuddy said smiling getting a bit embarrassed - it's a long story... but yes ... we're together ..." she paused"... but we prefer to keep work and private life separated whenever possible. We had some problems at the beginning ... about that... " 

"Oh ... I understand it very well - he said smiling- I was married to a fellow... I hope I haven't been too inconvenient ... I can't deny that I flirted with you, but I'm not that kind of man ... I didn't know you were engaged ..." he paused and reached for her hand with a sincere smile shaking her hand "I hope we will meet again. Good luck, Lisa. " 

"I hope that. Good luck, Owen" she returned the handshake. 

She greeted everyone before dressing a more comfortable outfit and waiting for the cab to the airport. 

* * *

It was all very different now that they walked toward the check-in hand in hand like a normal couple. Their mood was very different from two days before. They sat down to wait for the call of their flight. She rested her head on his shoulder as his hand stroked her knee. 

On the flight she still choose the window seat, but this time she kept her legs turned towards him and again he occasionally stroked her knee. 

"How about staying at my home for the weekend?" she asked turning her head to look at him. 

"Sure. I wouldn't stay anywhere else." he replied with a smile. 

"What do we tell to Rachel?" he added 

She looked at him smiling, "She's three years old... - she said - she'll be happy to have you back ... she loves you ... she won't make a lot of questions" she smiled 

"Yeah..." he said "I love her too ... it won't t be so easier with Julia and your mother yet..." 

"I'll think about that..." she replied giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. 

The flight was calm and the business class was not that busy that afternoon. A few hours later the hostess served a light dinner. House ordered a chutney chicken and a glass of white wine, Cuddy a Caesar salad and a glass of orange juice. 

"I really don't know how you can eat just vegetables ..." he said looking at her as she ate a lettuce leaf. 

"I also eat meat and fish ... sometimes ..." she replied with a smile "but I prefer vegetarian dishes ... you should try it sometimes" she said approaching to his mouth a forkful of her salad. Lettuce salad, eggs and Parmesan flavored with Worcestershire sauce. 

"Not bad" he replied with a smile after swallowing "but I still prefer my chicken ..." 

She took a forkful of his spiced chicken from his plate. 

They finished their dinner chatting and joking. 

They seemed a married couple. Her head was now resting on his shoulder, the fingers of her left hand intertwined with those of his right hand as he caressed her hand with circular motions of his thumb. It was almost landing time and they both began to be a little tired after those three intense days. 

"Did you ... expect ... all this?" she asked in a whisper, not moving her head from his shoulder. 

He tenderly kissed her hair. 

"No ..." he replied giving her another kiss on the head "... Wilson had expected it!" He added with a smile as she lifted her head to look at him and he kissed her forehead. 

"Sometimes I have the impression that he knows us better than we know ourselves ..." she said laughing and putting her head on his shoulder again. 

"Yeah" he replied laughing in turn. "And he's also the king of gossip ..." he added "... maybe we could tease him a bit ... he could go insane ..." 

"Why not" she replied smiling ... "... even if I can't promise to be able to keep away from you for a long time, Dr. House" she looked mischievously at his eyes looking for his lips for a chaste kiss. 

"... I have to pee" she said after a few minutes of silence, lifting her head from his shoulder "I'll be back soon" she added standing up and heading for the toilet. 

Although now he knew she was yours, he couldn't help but looking at her beautiful butt highlighted by her tight jeans as she walked toward the toilet. 

* * *

Cuddy washed her hands in the small sink before leaving the toilet, but she couldn't grab the door handle as a sudden sharp pain stabbed her in her abdomen. She put suddenly her right hand on her belly holding on to the door with his left hand. 

"Oh God ..." she moaned feeling of not being able to talk and move for the pain that radiated from her right side toward the back. She deeply breathed keeping her eyes closed. 

_Keep calm ... breathe ..._ she said to herself, trying to focus on her breathing as during her morning yoga meditation. She felt the pain fading. That acute pain lasted only a few seconds and gave way to a more subtle but continuous pain ... She turned to the sink and looked at the reflection of her face in the mirror... she was pale and her forehead was slightly sweaty. 

_What the hell is wrong with me? s_ he thought continuing to look at herself in the mirror. Just three months ago she had had a cancer scare and although the surgery had removed a benign mass, she couldn't now help but feeling that fear again ... 

He run a wet towel on her neck and face. The pain was almost completely gone. She knew she had to talk to House about that ... she absolutely had to be examined at the hospital. 

He left the toilet room and walked slowly toward her seat meeting House's gaze. She passed near him and sat down. That look was enough for him to understand that something was wrong. 

"What's wrong?" he asked looking at her with worried eyes 

She didn't answer and this increased even more his concern. 

"Lisa ...?" He tried again 

She took a deep breath before looking at him and open her lips to answer ... "I ..." she hesitated ... "I ..." but she lacked the words and suppressed a moan holding her breath and closing her eyes, putting suddenly her right hand on her abdomen as just before in the toilet ... the pain was like a stab in her abdomen and she covered her face with her left hand. 

It was a few seconds but it seemed hours to House. It's not easy to stay objective seeing to suffer your loved one... 

"Breathe ..." he said lowered the back of her seat to keep her lying down. "Can you talk?" 

She nodded and opened her eyes turning to face him ... "The pain is going ...away ..." she whispered "it's going ... away ..." she rub her forehead again trying to keep calm. 

"I'm taking you to the hospital as soon as we land" he said in a serious tone. She said nothing and merely nodded. 

House knew how much she hated to go in hospital as a patient so if she now wasn't trying to change his mind it was a sign of how much that situation scared her. She wasn't feeling well in the last month and she had continuous episodes of hypotension with nausea and dizziness, and now abdominal pain was another symptom to add to her list of symptoms. 

"I'm feeling a little better..." she said after a few minutes with a hint of a smile but continuing to rub her right belly side. 

He put his hand on her abdomen and began to visit her carefully with a pensive look. Her abdomen wasn't tense except in the lower area above her pubis. At palpation her abdomen was painful on the right iliac fossa, but Blumberg sign was negative and that excluded peritonitis. 

"How was the pain?" he asked trying not to let her see his anxiety 

"An acute pain in the right iliac fossa" she replied "... stabbing like a knife ... and radiated to the back ... but it lasted only a few seconds ... and now ... it's vague as a weight ... in hypogastrium " she looked at him" it could be the appendix, but I have no fever ... I know the premenstrual or ovulatory pain and this is ... different ... and at the ultrasound of less than three months ago I haven't ovarian cysts .. . it could be a urinary infection but I have no urination difficulty ... it doesn't seem the pain of a renal colic ... " she added trying to anticipate him in the differential. He continued to look at her with a thoughtful but reassured by the fact that at least now the pain had regressed. 

"You need some blood tests and an abdominal ultrasound" he said in a firm tone that brooked no denial. "We'll be at Plainsboro's in less than two hours" he looked at her trying to calm her down "Try to rest ..." he said in a soft voice giving her a light kiss on the lips as she closed her eyes looking for his hand. 

* * *

**[Please spend just a minute for me and ...review! Thank you again for reading!]**


	19. Discoveries

Cuddy felt better and hadn't had cramps anymore. They would have been in Princeton in almost an hour and would have stopped at PPTH before going home. House drove in silence, sometimes turning his head to look at Lisa who was asleep on the side seat with her head turned toward the window. She had fallen asleep ten minutes after leaving the airport car park and he wasn't going to wake her. He watched her and felt more relaxed even though he didn't know what was wrong with her yet.

He woke her when they arrived in the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital parking. It was after midnight and the car park was empty at that hour. The lights of the clinic were switched off, the offices were dark and the hospital main entrance was illuminated just by a weak light . Cuddy walked into her office looking for the key in her desk drawer. She met his gaze as she passed near him, but neither of them spoke as they walked toward the Clinic.

She put the key in the door of the clinic room 1 that opened with a click. It was the same clinic where they worked every day, but Cuddy had the impression that the silence of the night made it more oppressive. She put her purse on the chair next to the door and turned to House looking into his eyes and biting her lower lip. He took her by her waist and pulled her in his arms holding her in a hug before kissing her gently on the lips.

"Don't worry..." he whispered stroking her back "I'm the best doctor of your hospital" he said smiling and trying to break the tension. She smiled back and kissed him on the mouth before regaining her composure and going to the door to lock it.

"Ok, Dr. House" she said with a faint smile "... but I warn you that I'm not a good patient."

She unzipped her jeans and sat on the examining table. House tied a tourniquet on her arm and then watched as the needle pierced her vein and the tubes were filled one by one with her blood. He gently removed the needle from her arm and put the tubes in the kidney-shaped basin on the cart.

"Wow" she said with a smile to break the tension "you may have a future in this"

"Remember it, boss, the next time you want to fire me" he said smiling back.

He took the cart with the ultrasound machine that was next to the door and pushed it towards the examining table.

"Lie down ..." he said softly.

He looked at her as she lowered her jeans and lifted her shirt revealing her abdomen and then she lied down keeping her hands on her chest. He put a blue sheet on her legs before putting the cold gel on her abdomen. He sat in front of the ultrasound machine and with his right hand positioned the probe on her belly while his left hand pressed the buttons waiting for the black and white image on the monitor.

He started from her upper abdomen stopping to accurately observe her liver, her left kidney, her right kidney and going lower to examine her ovaries, her bladder and uterus. She looked at him without saying anything. She couldn't see the screen from her position and so she was trying to read his eyes. He was serious and focused on those images. Suddenly he stopped the probe and a flash in his eyes betrayed for a moment his inscrutable face.

"Greg...?" she whispered

He stopped that image and put his right hand over his mouth rubbing his beard. But he didn't answer. He pressed the probe stronger just above her pubic region and moved it slightly up and down and from side to side.

"Greg ... what is it?" She asked him trying to lift her head to see the image on the monitor failing to hide the anxiety in her voice.

House let out a smile as he turned to look at her straight in her eye while turning the monitor toward her so she could see.

"You're pregnant" he said trying to remain serious.

"... no... I'm not" her gray-blue eyes continued to look at him without looking at the screen "G-Greg ... I ... I can't be pregnant..."

He looked at her and pointed to a spot on the screen.

"There is no question, Dr. Cuddy... you are pregnant...at least twelve or thirteen weeks pregnant"

He saw her eyes widen in disbelief at those words. Tears filled her eyes as she put a hand on her mouth.

"Wh ... what?" she stammered. Her voice was trembling.

She felt as to be in a surreal situation ... her head began to spin and she had to lie down completely again on the examination table to not pass out once more.

Twelve weeks since then she and House were still together and she was on the pill ... then she had had that cancer scare and a surgery to remove the mass ... and then she had dumped him and he was disappeared. She had had her period...it had been an irregular period but she had had it ... or so she thought... it had been immediately after House departure and about three weeks later when he came back in Princeton ... She had thought that her period was irregular because she was very stressed ... but absolutely she didn't have thought to be pregnant.

"Here it is ..." he said moving the probe again as on the screen clearly appeared the image of a small fetus. It was about 2,5 inches, with a big head and four small limbs, and a very fast heartbeat in the middle of its chest... "It's about 10 weeks old, perhaps 11 weeks ..."

Cuddy was speechless and felt tears beginning to run down her cheeks as she looked at that heartbeat ...

He saw her closing her eyes and putting a hand on her forehead. He caressed her face with his thumb wiping away her tears. She opened her eyes at that caress and met his gaze. She unexpectedly didn't read discomfort or fear or anxiety in his eyes but just... love ... and when he kissed her all her doubts melted into that kiss.

"Are you okay? ..." he whispered on her lips looking into her eyes again.

She nodded and smiled " I've never been better ... " she hesitated "but...what about you ...? This wasn't planned ...? At least not so soon... "

She tried to read his eyes again...

He looked at her again but this time with an intriguing look and slightly shook his head, smiling ...

"Actually there is something else that wasn't planned..." he said moving the probe and changing the image on the screen" ... well... something or...someone... "

He widened the frame and on the monitor appeared a double image ... ... two heartbeats flickered on the screen.

Cuddy felt her own heartbeat almost as fast as that of her babies, unable to believe at what she was seeing on the screen...

She had lied down on that examination table a few minute before fearing of having a relapse of that kidney mass and she indeed was now looking at two little miracles growing inside her ...

"You had to know that everything I do... I do it in big style!" he said laughing to make her laugh. And he succeeded. Laughter mixed with tears.

"I love you" she whispered.

He hugged her tightly touching her lips with his "I love you too, Lisa"

* * *

 **[Thank you for reading! Please let me know if you like it.]**


	20. New lives

She was hugging at the man she was in love with and felt like in a parallel world. Those three days had been so full of emotions that she could barely believe it was all real. 

"We have to call Addison Montgomery" he said taking her back to reality. "The fetuses seem to be ok ... I can see two placentas , there aren't placental detachment areas and the amniotic sacs seem undamaged... but I want to have the opinion of an expert... a twin pregnancy is at greater risk... and we can't ignore the abdominal pain you experienced a few hours ago ... " 

Cuddy nodded. "I'll call her right now." She said "Addison's on call tonight." 

* * *

It was nothing new that the Dean of Medicine called even in the middle of the night, so nurse Stones wasn't surprised hearing Dr. Cuddy's voice on the receiver and hastened to pass Dr. Montgomery on the phone. 

Lisa had been a bit vague on the phone, and she knew something was wrong when she had asked to join her on the ground floor in the Clinic, but decided not to ask too many questions. 

Addison knocked on the door of the clinic room 1 and couldn't hide her surprise when House opened the door. She saw Lisa sitting with knees close to her chest on the examination table. She was in a hospital gown. 

"Lisa ..." she said "What's wrong? Are you okay? I thought you were in Seattle ..." 

"I hope you can tell _us_ ..." she said "...and...I... _we_ couldn't wait until tomorrow morning ..." 

Addison knew that Lisa had dumped House a few months ago, but she also knew that she was still in love with him and then seeing them now back together... that was _intriguing_. 

Lisa told her what happened in Seattle and on the flight. She told her about her pregnancy and that in the three previous months she hadn't definitely suspected of being pregnant. She had definitely not gained weight and indeed she had lost almost 9 lb in three weeks during House's absence. She was scared because of the cramps she had had on the flight. She had took drugs after her surgery and alcohol and no prenatal vitamins. 

Addison was great in her work, she knew how to instill a great calm to her patients and that was one of the reasons that had led Cuddy to think at her as Head of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Neonatal Surgery. And she even was one of her best friend ... since University. 

"Ok. Lie down, Lisa" she said sitting in front of the ultrasound machine "let's give a look" 

House took a seat next to the examination table holding Lisa's hand in his. 

"They're probably fraternal twins. You probably escaped your birth control pill and had a double ovulation. There are two placentas and two amniotic sacs ... in most cases this type of pregnancy has dizygotic fetuses. According to their size and the development of limbs and internal organs, I assume they are been conceived 10 or 11 weeks ago. The ultrasound You had before your kidney surgery didn't see them probably because the conception took place only a few days before, so the embryos were already present but too small to be seen." 

She paused looking at both Cuddy and House. 

"I can't deny that generally the body undergoes a period of stress after a surgery stress because of anesthesia, surgery itself and subsequent therapy and that typically leads to a miscarriage in the early days... it's rare that pregnancy like this continues beyond 4 weeks, even more when it's a twin pregnancy, but ... we have been lucky " she smiled ... 

"I also had a CT scan ..." Cuddy said clutching House's hand as she felt anxiety closing her stomach ... 

"In such an early stage of pregnancy, the embryo is made up of very few cells and the effect of ionizing radiations is _all or nothing_ ... I think in our case you had a _nothing effect_ without cellular damage. A radiation damage on a embryo formed just by a few cells certainly would have caused a miscarriage or at least a stop of growing and development. I can assure you that yours twins look like two perfectly formed and healthy fetuses... " 

Cuddy nodded and felt the tension melt a bit away while Addison kept talking and Greg stroked his hand with circular motions of his thumb. 

"I'm a bit worried about the pain you experienced a few hours ago and about the bleedings of the last few months, the ones you misunderstood as menstrual cycle..." Addison confessed "but I can't see signs of fetal distress nor areas of placental detachment... I'd like to do a pelvic medical examination if it's ok for you " 

Cuddy nodded as Addison prepared her for the examination and handed her a sheet to cover her legs. House sat behind her continuing to stroke her hand, he wasn't a doctor at that time but only a worried boyfriend. 

"Try to relax, Lisa..." she said "and take a deep breath ..." 

Cuddy closed her eyes and clutched House's hand as she felt the pressure growing inside her vagina and on the cervix. 

"Any pain?" Addison asked compressing simultaneously her lower abdomen with the other hand. 

"No" she said 

"Ok ... now Lisa, exhale slowly ..." she said Addison removing her hand from her pelvis and throwing the glove in the bin "You can sit down if you want." 

Cuddy went back slowly to a sitting position. She still felt dizzy every time she moved too quickly, but now she knew that it was just a pregnancy symptom ... 

"It's all right" Addison said them with a smile "there are no bleeding nor cervix dilation ... probably the pain you've experienced was just the uterus round-ligament pain and it's in no way pathological, it subsides with a little rest. The ligament is just stretched by the increase in volume of the uterus and that stretching could give you acute but short pain especially when you move too quickly or abruptly. You and the twins are fine ... so ... congratulations guys" she added embracing affectionately Lisa and then House, who incredibly didn't escape that hug. 

"Ok" she continued "I'll prescribe some vitamins and you have to keep your blood pressure checked. For now your blood pressure is very low and this obviously explains your constant dizziness and fainting, but the risk of preeclampsia is four times higher in twin pregnancies so better be prudent ..." she looked at both of them before adding "and you shouldn't overwork and get too tired ... I mean ... I know you're the boss, but you have to take care of yourself ...and now not only of yourself but the three of you. Right now you really have to try to think more about your health than to that of your hospital " 

"I'll do my best ..." she said knowing that Addison was right... what she didn't know was how she would conciliate work and pregnancy... 

Addison's pager went off. 

"Damn ..." she said "I have to go ... there's an emergency in my ward" 

"See you on Monday, Lisa - she said hugging her again 

"Thanks Addy, really" Lisa said returning her friends' embrace "And...you're the only one who knew about this _news_ " 

"Don't worry, I'll be _as silent as a fish_ " she answered smiling and heading for the door. 

* * *

**Medical note: pregnancy lasts 40 weeks and the beginning of pregnancy is counted by convention by the first day of the last menstrual cycle. Ovulation occurs about 14 days after. That's why Cuddy is 13 weeks pregnant but her fetuses are only 11 weeks old.  
**

* * *

 _ **As silent as a fish**_ **is an Italian figure of speech.  
**

* * *

 **[Thank you Annamria! I translate your review from Hungarian (thanks to google translator). I'm very happy you like this story! And I'm happy that there are still Huddy fans. I'm sorry to be so slow to write but I'll do my best. Thank you again.]**

 **[Thank you all for reading my story. I am happy that this story has visitors from around the world. If you are Italian, you can read the story (already complete) in Italian (please contact me by private message and I'll tell you where to find it]**


	21. Turning points

That night, finally in their bed, they remained a long embraced after they made love. They both knew that having sex during pregnancy was definitely not dangerous but House had been particularly sweet and gentle that night as if he was been afraid to hurt her.

For Cuddy was almost hard to recognize this new House ... he was the same but much more sweet, caring and sensitive... finally after so many years he had managed to open up and let go and she now felt as if they could read each other thoughts just looking at each other eyes. They were now lying down still naked in their bed as he was gently stroking her lower abdomen... it was a feeling that she would never have thought to feel. House had always considered those little unborn creatures just _fetuses_... and they had often fought on this point in the past, but now ... now they were no longer just fetuses ... now they were his _offspring_...

They fell asleep embraced, exhausted after that long day.

* * *

The next morning, House was the first to open his eyes. He kept to hold her in his arms watching her asleep and caressing the arm with whom she surrounded his chest. She woke when House's phone rang.

"Neither my mother calls me at ten o'clock on Sunday morning ..." House said into the receiver.

Cuddy recognized Wilson's voice but couldn't understand what he was talking about..

"Not today ...Wilson" House answered

"C'mon House, by the tone of your voice I guess things didn't go as you wanted in Seattle ... but that doesn't mean that you now have to close in yourself ... you need to talk to someone ..."

"Non oggi Wilson..." sentì House rispondere...

"I already have someone to talk to, Wilson ... and not just _talk_..." he said glancing at Cuddy "... indeed not one ... _three of them .._."

"Three of _them_? ...Three women?" Wilson asked in disbelief.

 _Why did he always completely fall for that joke?_

"Sorry Wilson, I'm busy . See you tomorrow. And don't try to break into my house like last time ... I'm ... very busy!" and he turned off the phone looking at Cuddy with a smile.

"Good morning" he said kissing her on the lips and gently massaging the abdomen.

"How are you?" he asked her continuing to stroke her belly

" _Horny ._.." she answered unexpectedly looking at him with a mischievous smile.

* * *

She took his hand from her own lower abdomen and pushed it a little more down between her legs.

"Wow ... I love your pregnancy hormones..." he said looking for her mouth to kiss her while his hand rubbed her between her legs where she already was incredibly hot and wet ... "Oh God... Lisa" he murmured continuing to kiss her as she felt his erection beginning to press against her thigh.

She had always been particularly sensitive, but actually pregnancy had made her even more sensitive to his touch.

He continued to rub her clit listening to her now more labored breath. He felt her hips move in agreement with his hand. He penetrated her with two fingers continuing to rub her clit harder and harder with his thumb as she moaned arching her back and clutching the bed sheet in her hands. It took him a few finger movements in and out of her to take her to the climax. She moaned loudly shouting his name as strong orgasm shook her body with vigorous waves of pleasure.

She stood panting only a few seconds as he watched entranced her, before opening her dark-with-excitement eyes and sit up on top of him.

He looked at her as she moved her hair to one side staring at him before moving her hips to drive his shaft deeply into her in all its length as if to savor every centimeter of it. They both groaned at that feeling.

She rode him slowly at first and then faster and faster.

House couldn't banish the fear of hurting her. He saw her in a different light now that he know that she was pregnant, but she seemed to feel anything but pain during penetration and the fact that she was bossing that game reassured him. He continued to caress her neck, shoulders, back and buttocks as she moved above him and felt the rhythm increase more and more, becoming more and more insistent until he was almost at the peak. They were panting but they continued to kiss passionately as their tongues looked for each other uncontrollably. He opened his eyes to look at her when he heard her hold her breath for a moment and saw a flash in her eyes just before feeling her legs tremble again as a new wave of pleasure swept her body in a second very strong orgasm.

He thrust inside her with more force blocking her hips with your hands and strengthening even more the pleasure of her orgasm. He watched her roll her eyes screaming his name and thrust in her again and again penetrating her stronger and stronger reaching his peak of pleasure and coming abundantly inside her.

They both fell on the bed, exhausted and panting, but incredibly satisfied.

"Tell me why I didn't impregnate you twenty years ago" he said laughing still breathing heavily.

* * *

They remained embraced under the bed sheets after making love.

They decided to get up and have breakfast before going to take Rachel. Both were sitting at the kitchen table. A cup of steaming coffee and a bowl of chocolate cereals for House, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of whole grains and fresh fruits for Cuddy.

"Maybe I...could sell my flat ... "

Cuddy looked at him in disbelief... "Are you serious?" she asked

"Sure ..." he said "I thought that with the kids coming we should ... move in together"

She smiled ... " You don't have to feel compelled, Greg ... I don't want you to feel compelled by this pregnancy to do something that you don't really want to ... I don't want to impose you this decision" she gave him a sincere look

"No one can compel me to do what I don't want, Lisa ... I'm just saying that I _want_ to live with you ... to live with you, Rachel and the twin babies..." he looked at her straight in the eye ... He wanted to say _as a family_ but he lacked the courage to expose himself so much ...

She got up and went toward him sitting on his lap and taking his face in her hands before kissing him on the lips ... "I want you to live with us ..." she whispered staring at his ocean-blue eyes with her gray-blue eyes as he pulled her to him in another long kiss.


	22. Secrets

The next morning House woke up hugged simultaneously by two girls ... and he couldn't help but smiling. Lisa was asleep at his right just wearing lace panties and bra and enclosing his pelvis with her right leg. To his left a smaller version of the first one, wrapped in a pink pajamas, was curled up next to him with her little head on his chest. Both were deep asleep. House stroked Rachel's hair and closed his eyes not wanting to let go of that peaceful sensation. 

_The day before Rachel had widened her blue eyes as she had seen him neax to her mother and she had run fast toward him. She had wanted to stay in his lap during dinner. She had wanted him to bathe her. She had wanted him to tell her a bedtime tale. "I'm not going away anymore, kid" he had whispered kissing her forehead to wish her good night._

* * *

A couple of hours after Cuddy entered the glass doors of the main entrance of Plainsboro. Alone. She had just kissed House in the underground car park. They had decided to make fun of Wilson that was craving to know news about their trip to Seattle. 

"Welcome back" Wilson greeted her as he saw her come in. She looked beautiful in her elegant blue sleeveless dress with her black leather bag in one hand and a cup of (decaffeinated) coffee in the other. 

"Hi James" she said "I'm happy to see that my hospital didn't go on fire in my absence" she laughed as she walked straight toward her office and Wilson followed her. 

"So?" he asked "How was the trip?" 

He hadn't had any information by House and now he hoped to know something more by her. 

Cuddy didn't have time to answer him because her attention was caught by a beautiful bouquet of red and white roses placed on her desk. She read the note. On it there were only three words written by hand with a calligraphy she knew very well... _I lobe you._ _G._ ... and she couldn't help but smiling at that so sweet and unexpected gesture. 

She looked at Wilson who was staring at her with answering eyes. 

"Let's just say... I met _someone_..." Cuddy said answering Wilson's question. 

"Do I know him?" he asked looking at the flowers she was still holding. 

"Let's say ... _no... and yes ..._ " she paused not knowing how to get out from that mess "Do you know Dr. Owen Hunt, don't you? ... Let's say he had a crush on me... " That wasn't really a lie. 

"Wow ..." Wilson said in disbelief ... "And what about you...?" 

She was saved by her phone ring and hurried to look for it in her bag. 

_"Do you like it " House whispered on the other side of the receiver._

"It's so beautiful...thank you." she said as she couldn't help but smiling looking at the bouquet "Be careful, I could get used to all of this..." 

_"See you at the meeting. I love you"_

"Me too. Bye" 

Wilson stared at her. 

"... It was _him_?" he asked pointing to the flowers after she turned off her phone. 

She nodded and smile. Then added... 

"... but we have no time for gossip now ... I promise I'll tell you everything later" she said approaching him and kissing him affectionately on the cheek "... we have to go. We are already late for the Board meeting... " 

* * *

That morning the Board had gathered to learn news about the new research project. Cuddy and Wilson were already seated next to each other when House entered the room and sat next to Wilson. He greeted all just with a nod of his head while Cuddy stood up and said "Well, I think we can begin." 

House loved to see her talking as the Board members literally hung on her every word. She always managed to be extremely professional and incredibly sexy at the same time. And he couldn't get out of his mind the thought that that beautiful and so professional woman was the same who just a few hours before was moaning in his arms screaming his name ... 

An hour later Cuddy greeted all reminding them of the appointment scheduled for the next day with another agenda. House got up and went away without saying goodbye. Wilson looked at him and shook slightly his head. 

"What the hell is wrong with him?" he asked to Cuddy but she didn't answer. Instead she hurried to answer her phone that was vibrating in her hand. 

_"Is Wilson still with you?" House whispered into the receiver_

 _"Yes" she replied_

 _"Ok. Dump him with an excuse... See you later ..."_

 _"Sure ... I'll be right" She turned off the call and turned to Wilson ... "I'm sorry... there's a problem in the OR ... I have to go. See you later, James." She greeted him touching his arm and smiling slightly._

At lunchtime Wilson couldn't find neither House or Cuddy. "Dr. Cuddy is having lunch with a _donor_ " Cuddy's assistant had told Wilson. House obviously had simply disappeared without leaving any message. 

"I don't think I still can go on with this joke, Greg" Cuddy said as she took a forkful of her salad "... I'm a awful actress"

"I know" he smiled biting his Reuben sandwich and stroking her hand on the table "We'll go into his office as we returned to the hospital ... I really crave to see his face."

They both smiled. Wilson was a real friend and they were aware that without him they wouldn't have been a couple now. 

* * *

House entered Wilson's office without knocking as usual. Cuddy entered behind him. They both were serious and none of them spoke. 

"What's wrong?" Wilson asked "What are you _two_ doing here..." his eyes were surprised and concerned as he looked at their serious looks. 

"She got sick in Seattle... and asked me for a medical consultation ..." he replied pointing at Cuddy as Wilson turned to look at her "... and I think _you_ have to give a look at her folder... "he said handing out a blu folder. 

Wilson stayed motionless for a moment, looking at a serious and silent Cuddy who was biting her lower lip... His heartbeat fastened... the thought that one of his best friends was ill made him sick ... and his thoughts went immediately to Cuddy's surgery of 3 months before... _does she really need a medical consultation from an oncologist?..._

He took the folder from House's hand and opened it with a moment of hesitation ... the folder was empty and a black and white picture was attached with a paper clip... 

He wasn't an expert but that image clearly showed two gestational rooms and in each one there was a fetus with small head and limbs. _"Lisa Cuddy"_ he read at the picture top _"approximately 13 weeks pregnancy"._

Wilson looked in disbelief at Cuddy who couldn't help but smiling. House grinned too.

"Dear Uncle Wilson ... I think you will have to get used to the idea of having around three Houses" House said laughing and approaching Cuddy to hug her from behind.

Wilson looked at them. She kept her back against his chest as he kept his hands protectively on her lower abdomen and bent to kiss tenderly the right side of her neck. 

"I can't believe it ..." Wilson said failing to stop smiling "but ...how about this morning ...?" 

"Just a little joke ..." House smiled "we knew you were dying by the desire to know the details of our trip" 

Wilson smiled again as he approached them. 

"And _for details_...please come and have dinner with us tonight." Cuddy said as Wilson hugged her.


	23. Together

Cuddy and House returned home early after work. House opened the door with one hand holding with the other hand a large shopping bag . Cuddy entered after him. They had invited Wilson for dinner. And Cuddy had invited even Addison and her 3-years-old son, Henry. 

When Addison had moved in Princeton Cuddy had suggested her to hire Juliana, a friend of Marina, to babysit Henry so now Rachel and Henry often spent a lot of time together. That night Marina had had a mishap and had warned Cuddy that Rachel was with Juliana at Montgomery's. So she had invited Addison for dinner. She would took Rachel home at 7.30 pm.

 _"Do you think Wilson will be bother because I ask Addison to have dinner with us tonight?" Cuddy had asked him just half an hour before as she put a stuffed roast turkey in the supermarket trolley, next to the vegetables._

 _"I really don't think so" House had said laughing and shaking his head adding a bottle of Pinot Grigio in their trolley "Addison is just the kind of woman who Wilson likes..."_

House put down the shopping bag and turned to Cuddy enclosing her shoulders with his right arm and drawing her to him in a long kiss.

"Rachel will not be home for another two hours..." he said with a mischievous smile "we could take a shower... together..."

"... first... I have to show you something ..." she replied looking for his lips again "Come with me ..." she said taking his hand and leading him into the living room.

House stopped speechless.

In the corner of her living room was his grand piano and his guitars hung on the wall behind the plan. He look at her in disbelief as a wide smile appeared on his lips.

"How did you...?"

"I thought that even your piano wanted... to _move in_...in _our_ home." she said smiling.

"You're _the most incredible woman I've ever known_..." he said pulling her into another long kiss "... really the most incredible one ..." he repeated in her mouth without stopping to kiss her.

They stayed embraced. The gray-blue of her eyes fixed in the ocean-blue of him. He didn't miss the flash in her eyes ...

She walked away from him and still staring at him unzipped her dress letting it slip on the floor.

* * *

She did not lowered her eyes as she slowly touched her blue lace thong letting it slipped in turn on the floor. She was still wearing her bra. She knew, from the bulge in his pants, he was already turned on and she continued to stare at him before turning back and bending over the piano.

"Oh my God ... Lisa ..." House groaned seeing her in that extremely erotic position that emphasized her perfect butt. He approached her and touch her skin, taking off his shirt and started to unbutton his pants. He stroked her back and unhooked her bra bending over her to kiss her neck and shoulders while his hands massaged her hips and buttocks. She arched her back to his chest and turned her head to meet his gaze again before whispering in his ear ...

"So Dr. House ... let's see how you can play ... _my keys_..." her voice was extremely horny and he felt his erection aching in the pants he still was wearing.

"What do you want me to make you ... Dr. Cuddy ...?" he asked licking her neck and ear and sending her chills down her spine.

"Fuck me." she replied rubbing her butt against him "Fuck me, Greg ... here...now... and in this way ..."

House took a step back lowering in one move his pants and boxer who remained, however, up to his knees. He took his shaft in his hand and stared at her with a mischievous smile whispering in her ear "Yes, Mistress ...".

He forcefully entered her from behind and heard her moan loudly as she arched her back and pressed her hands on the shiny black surface of his piano. He firmly grabbed her hips and continued to penetrate her deeply thrusting into her in all his well-endowed length. Again and again and again.

"Oh my god ... Greg ... oh ...my... god ...please... stronger ...oh...god... please ... more ..." she pleaded. He heard her hold her breath for a moment before moaning louder overwhelmed by the waves of pleasure of an intense orgasm. He continued to thrust in her to prolong her pleasure but without coming continuing to stroke her back that now was glistening with sweat. He turn her belly up meeting her eyes. Her pupils were so much dilated with pleasure that her blue eyes had turned dark.

"I have not finished with you yet, Dr. Cuddy" he whispered. His voice was hoarse with excitement. "I have not even finished to fuck you ...Mistress." He lifted her on the piano spreading her legs with a firm movement and looking at her body admiring her in all her beauty.

He lowered his face into her groin and began to lap her heat. She was extremely wet and warm for the recent orgasm. He put his tongue into her as her hand stroked his short hair keeping his head in that position. She loved the way he teased her with his mouth ... He continued to lick and suck her moving up and down from her clit to her vagina and vice-versa but without touching her with his hands. She was already so turned on and sensitive that she felt she could climax again only with the warmth of his breath.

But he didn't let her climax again ... He had decided to accept her erotic play and fuck her in all possible ways...

He lifted his head and stared at her. "This time I really want to come in your mouth, Dr. Cuddy" he said. His voice growing hoarse as he helped her to sit up and get off the piano.

He watched as she kneeled at his feet and took her hair in his hands as she looked at him with a mischievous look and took his extremely hard cock in her mouth. She began to lick and suck harder and harder as her left hand continued to massage the base of his cock and his balls. She was extremely skillful at that. She did it penetrate deeper and deeper into her mouth and he could feel the back of her throat... She continued to suck and lick him with her tongue as he held her other hand on his toned butt. It was surprising how much pleasure she could feel just by giving him pleasure ... she could felt her core to pulsate as she continued to arouse him and she heard him breathing loudly. Their breathing were even more labored and fast. She moaned as she sucked him and the vibrations of her throat were taking him to his climax. He felt he could no longer kept himself from coming.

"I'm going to come in your mouth Dr. Cuddy..." he murmured continuing to tighten her hair in his hands blocking her head so she couldn't let him go. Cuddy paused only a moment to answer "... I want nothing else ..." She took him back completely and deeply in her mouth and fastened her pace until she heard a hoarse and deep groan and felt the hot liquid run down along her throat as he abundantly came.

She looked at him from the bottom up meeting his gaze with a hint of a satisfied smile. He saw her passing mischievously her tongue over her lips as if to savor every drop of him and he couldn't resist ...

He lifted her again in his arms and with a quick and firm move he laid down her again on the piano spreading her legs and penetrating her with his long pianist fingers before bending again over her to lick and suck. He wanted to prolong her pleasure but she was so close to the edge that it would not take much to make her come. He skillfully teased her clit with circular tongue movements continuing simultaneously to thrust in her with his fingers. He felt her tremble as his body was being shaken by a second  
orgasm so intense that she pressed a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming too strong 

* * *

"I think now we're late ... we have to get dressed if we don't want that Rachel sees us like that" he said smiling at her. He looked at her with the ecstatic look of a man who has just made love to his woman as he helped her sit up. She felt dizzy and leaned her forehead on his shoulder as he continued to stroke her bare back.

"Are you OK ...?" he asked without moving feeling her hesitation. She nodded but kept her head on his shoulder..

"I never thought you'd take my words so _literally_ ..." she laughed continuing to hide her face on his chest "I can't move ... my legs are trembling..." she smiled looking up at him and meeting his smile.

"You never have to challenge me ..." he said kissing her on the mouth "... then Dr. Cuddy, can I play _keys_?" he asked with a raised eyebrow

"Oh yeah." she replied laughing "You can bet!" 

* * *

They took a quick shower and got dressed. Cuddy had changed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a black tank top. House was wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt. He went into the kitchen and watched as she checked the roast in the oven before approaching her and hugging her from behind stroking her belly with his hands and kissing the side of her neck. She tilted her neck to indulge his kiss and laid her hands on his.

"My legs are still shaking" she said laughing and raising her right arm to stroke his face as his head he was still bent on her neck.

"I'm sorry ..." he said kissing her neck again and continuing to stroke her lower abdomen. "... I love you ..."

"I love you too ..." she smiled "...and I'm anything but _sorry_ " she added laughing ... 

* * *

Two hours later the four of them were sitting around the table laughing and joking as they finished their dessert and sipped the white wine from their glasses ... obviously all except Cuddy. Rachel and Henry were playing on the carpet.

"You're the only pregnant woman who doesn't take advantage of pregnancy to eat for two" Wilson said pointing to her almost intact piece of cake.

Cuddy smiled "and I could even eat for _three_..." she said.

"Really Lisa ... you started your second trimester and ... my belly is bigger than your" Wilson said laughing.

"Well, I assure you, James, that in a few weeks she'll not be able to hide her secret anymore" Addison said smiling at Wilson. "By the way, Lisa ... you forgot this in my office" she added taking an orange bottle and a prescription from her purse.

"If those are vitamins, Addison - House laughed - you absolutely have to prescribe those to me too ..." he made a little break glancing at Lisa "I'm having some difficulties to support her _rhythms_ ..." and added pretending to be serious "She eat very little, but can be very ... _hungry_ ". Cuddy hit him with a weak punch on the shoulder covering her eyes with her hand but unable to suppress a smile.

"Wow, House ... I didn't think I'd ever heard you complain of a woman for too much sex ..." Addison laughed and Wilson shook his head blushing a little and smiling unable to hide his embarrassment...

They greeted just before midnight. The evening was so enjoyable that the time had flown. And ... Wilson had watched Addison all the time with such a look that House knew he wasn't wrong ...

Rachel was asleep on the sofa. House took her in his and put her in bed giving her a kiss on the cheek before leaving her bedroom.

Cuddy was already in their bedroom and was looking at her reflection in the mirror. She wore a white light silk and lace baby-doll. Her left hand was resting on the lower abdomen and she had a pensive look.

"Hey ..." House said entering the room "What's wrong?"

She turned to look at him for a moment before looking back at her image in the mirror.

"It's just that ... my stomach is so _flat_ ... ..." she caught his eye in the mirror.

"You're the only woman on Earth who complains of having a perfect body ..." he said laughing and hugging her from behind still looking at her in the mirror.

"I don't _look_ pregnant ... I ... I don't _feel_ pregnant ..."

"... but you are ..." he smiled "In a few weeks you'll feel them move, you'll have a backache, and ... you'll complain of not having nothing to wear anymore..." he grinned making her smile and resting his hands on her belly. 


	24. July 4th

_**[Hello everyone. Here's another chapter. I don't know the USA traditions of July 4th, so I hope not to have written nonsense, and if I did ... sorry! Enjoy!]**_

* * *

 _July 4th morning_

* * *

Cuddy woke up and stretched out her arm looking for House but she found the bed empty. She heard the water running in the shower and wrapped herself in the bed sheet waiting for House to come out of the bathroom. She saw him open the door a few minutes later. He was wet-haired and had a towel tied around his waist.

"Good morning" he said as soon as he met her gaze

"Good morning" she said with a smile "I didn't hear you to get up ..."

"I went for a run" he said sitting down on the bed and kissing her affectionately on the lips

She smiled. The result obtained with his surgery was really incredible. Not only he had no pain anymore, but he had recovered almost completely his leg's functionality. And even his scar was much less visible.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the bedroom door opening as a small figure in her Dora the Explorer green pajamas run on the bed.

"Good morning _kiddo_ " House said stroking her head.

"Good morning _bloody scalawag_ " she said throwing herself in his arms.

Cuddy smiled watching them as House tickled Rachel and she laughed and wiggled her legs. It was so nice to see them together.

House didn't like July 4th. As a child he had to rigorously attend military parades and formal ceremonies at the military base where his father was stationed, and so he didn't have memories of family celebrations, picnics and barbecues. He had really surprised her when he had said that he didn't want Rachel to experienced the same. He wanted her to grow up happy and loved and he wanted her to have what he hadn't had.

Then that would be a long Independence day.

They had promised Rachel to go to see the parade downtown and then to have a small picnic in the park, only the three of them. In the afternoon they would joined House's team on the coast. Cameron had returned to work in the Plainsboro ER a few weeks ago and she had approached again Chase and her old team. She had organized an outing between old colleagues and insisted that House and Cuddy would join the group. Now it was no longer a secret that they were back together and rumors had circulated quickly at Plainsboro so everyone knew that they were even moved in together. The team didn't have a case to keep them busy at work so they had decided to take the opportunity to enjoy a day of sun and then a barbecue on the beach. The July 4th fireworks will be wonderful seen from the beach. House, Cuddy and Rachel would join the group in the late afternoon with Wilson, who in the meantime had found the courage to ask Addison out.

"Come on girls" House said "it is time to get ready or we'll be late to the parade"

* * *

And Rachel had loved the parade ... sitting on House's shoulders she had clapped her hands all the time waving her stars and stripes little flag. They had eaten sandwiches on a blanket spread on the grass and played barefoot and now they were preparing to go to the beach. This was the very day he wanted his little girl to remember.

Cuddy put on a sand-colored light linen dress with thin straps perfect for the beach and put in her purse a cotton shawl of the same color. She looked at House as she stood shirtless buttoning his beige knee-length pants.

"Your look is... _dangerous_ " he said laughing

"I was just thinking how much you're charming ..." she said approaching him and stroking his bare chest as he hugged her and drew her to himself in a chaste kiss.

If Rachel hadn't been in the room certainly they wouldn't stop at that sweet kiss on the lips. House pulled on his white short-sleeved shirt and turned to Rachel.

"Don't forget your ball, bucket and spade, Rach" he said with a smile as she rolled her eyes at her mother.

"Come on Rachel" she said with a smile "let's go to put in the car of your games and your backpack."

House joined them in the car a few minutes later.

They arrived at the beach along with Wilson, Addison and Henry and they saw the group from afar. No one was missing ... Chase and Cameron, Taub and his wife Rachel, Foreman and Thirteen. They had spread blankets on the sand and had already prepared the barbecue ... They had organized a plentiful dinner on the beach with hamburgers, hot dogs, roasted corn, fruit, dessert and soft drinks and of course many bottles of beer.

Cameron greeted them embracing Cuddy and Addison affectionately. Chase received them by distributing soft drinks and beer bottles.

"Fortunately, tomorrow is Sunday, Dr. Cuddy" Taub said smiling "or we'd all suspended because of higher alcohol levels "

Cuddy smiled "Yeah ... you're luck" she laughed "but anyway tonight I'm not your boss ... tonight, _Chris,_ I'm just Lisa"

They laughed and talked and joked as a group of old friends while the fireworks were starting to light up the dark sky. The colored lights in the sky created surreal glow on the water. It was a wonderful spectacle. Rachel was curled up in House's arms. The roar of the first fireworks had scared her but then she had looked at the show with wondering eyes. Cuddy sat next to House resting her head on his shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her body and the sound of her light breathing.

Rachel and Henry fell asleep shortly after, tired after that extremely exciting day. The atmosphere was now even more familiar and Cuddy was embraced to House as they listened to Chase and Taub to tell funny stories of their childhood.

"How about a walk on the beach?" House whispered in her ear kissing her on the temple "Wilson and Addison will definitely look at Rachel ..."

"Sure" she replied looking into his eyes.

"Sorry guys ... but I need a walk to stretch my leg " he said to the group with a smile rubbing his right thigh as in the old days and glancing at Wilson who returned the glance.

Cuddy took her shawl from her bag and wrapped it around her shoulders. The breeze of the night began to give her goose bumps. House took her hand and they walked barefoot along the beach. They listened in silence to the sound of waves crashing on the beach continuing to walk hand in hand. The sky was full of stars and the moon shone weakly the beach while the summer breeze created an incredibly romantic atmosphere. Cuddy wrapped herself tighter in her shawl.

"Are you cold?" House asked her affectionately putting an arm around her shoulders and holding her to him as they continued walking.

"No, I'm not ... it was just a little shiver down my spine ..." she said with a smile clutching however closer to him and adding "It is the best July 4th of my life , Greg."

He stopped and turned to her to wrap her completely in his embrace looking straight into her eyes. In the twilight of the beach he could still see how beautiful she was and could not help but smile as he bent to kiss her on the lips. A deep but slow, sweet and romantic kiss.

"I have never experienced in my life what I feel for you ... "he whispered on her lips.

He kissed her again. And again that was not a kiss between two lovers overwhelmed by passion, but a kiss that held a deeper love made of complicity, protection, respect.

"I should have done this twenty years ago ..." he whispered looking into her eyes, as she continued to stare back.

"I didn't know what to be happy meant... because I had never been happy... I believed to have been in love with other women in the past, but never in my life I had experienced the feeling of _completeness_ I feel when I am with you ... and ... never, in my life, I felt so sure about something, Lisa ... " he made a brief pause not looking away " ... I want you in my life today, tomorrow and forever, Lisa ... as my wife "

Cuddy put her hand on her mouth as tears filled her beautiful eyes ...

"Oh my God ..." she whispered, "I ... I ..." she lacked the words and took a deep breath ... "Yes" she said pulling him toward her and kissing him on the lips "Yes, I want to be your wife" she whispered again on his lips.

House smiled and knelt holding her hand. She watched as he put his hand in his pocket just before slipping on her left ring finger a wonderful white gold diamond ring that gleamed in the moonlight.

He stood up and kissed her again before looking at her again as still feeling her thoughts.

"I want to wake up every morning with you by my side, Lisa" he whispered "... not for the babies that you're carrying ... not for a social convention ..." he smiled caressing her face with his thumb "for a lifetime I've been an egocentric bastard focused only on my needs ... I always thought that nothing would ever changed ... that _I_ wouldn't ever changed ... but you gave me happiness and then you took it away from me and ... only then, I realized how much worth what I lost... I won't leave you alone again, Lisa ... " he paused briefly stroking her lower abdomen under her light dress ..." I want to be your husband ... I want be for Rachel and for these unborn kids the father that I didn't have... "

"Shhh..." she whispered as she pull him closer looking for his lips with hers and listening to his breath before to deepen the kiss looking for his tongue with hers. She felt like kissing him for the first time as chills ran down her spine and their tongues slowly and deeply caressed each other.

House lifted her in his arms continuing to kiss her before to lay her on the sand. She looked at him with languid eyes as he lay down on her.

He kissed her neck a long before kissing her mouth again but this time with more passion and desire caressing her breasts under the thin material. He lifted her skirt and unbuttoned his pants. They couldn't risk to completely undress but they couldn't even resist the lust growing inside them. He slid her thong down her legs and rubbed her looking into her eyes. She was already hot and wet with desire and he couldn't resist anymore. He carefully slid deep inside her as she held her breath to avoid the risk that someone would hear her moan. He began to move inside her deeply and slowly turning on all her pleasure centers before accelerating his pace as she moved under him in a perfect deal. He felt her legs trembling and her nails stuck in his back as she climaxed hiding her face against his chest to stifle her screams. House was right behind her as he came in her holding back a groan.

They continued to kiss after making love, feeling the sand under them and the sound of the ocean in the background.

"Maybe we should go back before someone comes looking for us" he said after a few minutes as she nodded and smiled.

They reached the group that was still talking and laughing. Rachel and Henry slept wrapped in a light blanket. Addison's head was resting on Wilson's shoulder she and was laughing at a joke of Chase. Wilson made eye contact with House and smiled seeing them hand in hand.

 _"I want to propose to Cuddy" he had told him entering his office without knocking and sitting down in front of him stretching his legs on his desk and throwing him a blue velvet box._

 _"Finally!" Wilson said opening the little box and admiring the engagement ring his best friend had bought for Cuddy "I thought I'd never see this day" he smiled and shook his head before adding "I have no doubt about what will be her answer..._ _"_

"I see that you haven't left much to drink for us" House said laughing and looking at the many empty bottles on the sand.

"Don't worry, House" Thirteen replied pointing to a box a little further "as you can see we have a well stocked supply "

"Well then ..." he said with a small break "because we have something to celebrate ..." he laughed looking back at Cuddy as she smiled showing the engagement ring on her finger "... I'm going to make Dr. Cuddy ... _an honest woman_ "


	25. Panic

**[Hello everyone. This is one of the chapters that I enjoyed more to write. I hope you enjoy]  
**

* * *

They had decided to marry as soon as possible and had opted for a simple ceremony on the beach, with very few guests, in the late afternoon of July 26. House had convinced Cuddy to hire a wedding planner ... he knew how much a perfectionist she was and he didn't want her to overload because her work and pregnancy were already a lot for her to deal with. 

The news had spread rapidly in the hospital and the wedding between the Dean of Medicine and the Head of Diagnostics was the scoop of the moment. Cuddy couldn't help but notice the glances and smiles she regularly received every time she passed near a group of nurses ... On the other hand at the time luckily no one seemed to have noticed her belly which was starting to grow as she cleverly hide it under softer-cut dresses. If someone suspected her sweet secret, that voice had not come to her ears yet. 

* * *

Cuddy was in the Clinic that morning and as usual she was signing some documents at the nurses' counter when she saw the news on live on the television screens set in the waiting room. A bus had collided with a gasoline tanker on the freeway near Princeton causing a fire and a huge collision. Her phone rang ... many wounded people would be transported to all the closer hospitals and the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was one of those. 

"Of course" she said in a serious tone into the receiver "I'm going to immediately alert the emergency ward and all our operating rooms." She turned off her cell and turned to nurse Brenda "I need all the available doctors and surgeons here and right now and... please Brenda go to alert immediately OR and cancel any non-urgent surgery scheduled for today" she had said in a firm tone while the nurse hastened to perform her boss' order. 

Cuddy opened the clinic room door without knocking looking at House as he was running out to visit a patient. 

"There was a terrible accident on the freeway" she said staring at him with serious eyes "... there are at least a hundred wounded people ... I don't know how many will be brought here but I need all my doctors in the ER ... " she said as he nodded his head staring back. 

They walked quickly side by side toward the ER and took the yellow coats starting to get dressed before entering to face that emergency. House looked at her as she wore her coat. 

"You shouldn't be here ..." he said in a serious but protective tone 

She stare back at him with a serious look before saying in her _administrative_ tone. 

"It's an emergency, House! I need all the available doctors here and ... _I_ am a doctor!" 

At that time _that_ was the Dean of Medicine speaking... not _Lisa_... so House preferred not to contradict her. 

The ER was a mess. The less severe patients were quickly medicated and then left in the waiting room. All the medical staff were focused on the most serious cases that kept coming constantly with ambulances. 

"What is it?" Cuddy asked to paramedics as she approached a man with a deep wound on his head and left arm and respiratory distress. 

"Male. 45 years old. Awake. Glasgow Scale 12. He hit the windshield with his head. Probable chest trauma from impact against the steering wheel. Blood pressure 140/90 mmHg. Heart rate 140 bpm. Respiratory rate 25. Lowering oxygen saturation. " 

Cuddy auscultated his chest. 

"Pneumothorax" she said "Left collapsed lung. His trachea is deviated. Pass me a thoracentesis kit" she ordered to the nurse at her left side. 

She stabilized the patient and sent him to Radiology Unit for a CT scan before turning her attention to another patient. 

Three hours later Cuddy had just stabilized her umpteenth patient and sent him to the OR when a man caught her eye. He was screaming and begging doctors to help his wife and son. His face was covered in blood because of a deep cut on his left eyebrow and he clearly had a dislocated shoulder. His arm dangled at his side, but he seemed not to notice it and not to feel pain as his terrified eyes was focused only on the woman that House and Chase were trying to stabilize. 

"Woman. 30 years old. Glasgow Scale 11. Twenty-five weeks pregnant and in labor. Her husband's car slipped under a garbage truck. Blood pressure 90/70 mmHg. Heart rate 170 bpm. Respiratory rate 28. Lowering oxygen saturation. " 

"Call Dr. Montgomery! and alert Neonatal Intensive Care Unit! " House ordered to the young nurse near him "Bring me the portable X-ray machine! ... immediately!" 

Cuddy tried to fix the woman's husband who didn't want to get away from his wife but hampered House and Chase's work. She made him sit nearby and stitched up the wound on his eyebrow before fixing his dislocated shoulder. 

She noticed House's gaze as he stared at Chase after having give a look at the young woman's chest X-ray. 

"Holy shit!" Chase shoot "diaphragmatic rupture ... she need an urgent surgery or she won't survive..." 

"There's fetal distress ..." House said looking at the monitor "we can't save them both ... we have to terminate the pregnancy ..." 

"... please... don't ..." the young woman pleaded with labored voice "My baby is too little..." 

House looked at her and spoke calmly but firmly "I'm sorry ... but your injury is too serious ... or it dies or you both die. There's nothing we can do...I'm sorry" 

Then he turned back to the nurse at his left. "Where's Dr. Montgomery?" He screamed impatiently. 

He met Cuddy's gaze before being brought back to reality by Chase and by the sound of the monitor ... 

"Damn! Ventricular fibrillation!" House said looking at the monitor and at the young woman who had suddenly lost consciousness "A milligram of epinephrine intravenously. Immediately!" 

No result. 

Cuddy held her breath as the man next to her was screaming his wife's name begging the doctors for doing something. She couldn't move. 

House met her eyes ... they were no longer the _Dean of Medicine's eyes._.. 

"You shouldn't stay here ..." he said to her in a serious tone "there's nothing you can do ..." 

House injected another dose of epinephrine in the patient's vein. 

No result. Again. 

They used the defibrillator but still there was no result and the line on the monitor was flat. 

Flat line...again and again, until they had to certify her death. 

_"LISA!... GO AWAY!"_ he had repeated in an authoritative tone looking straight at her. She did not move. 

But as a doctor House had to think first to his patient and there was still one patient to try to save. He took a scalpel from the cart to cut the woman's abdomen. He had to pull out the fetus. 

"Where the hell is the neonatologist?" he shouted across the room. Then he turned to Cuddy again "DAMN LISA! .. GO AWAY!" 

He saw Wilson leaving his patient and approaching her. 

It took only a minute to House to pull out the small body from his mother's womb. He was as big as his hand and he weighed less than 20 oz . His skin was purple and he was motionless. House laid him on a sterile towel and try to revive him massaging his tiny chest with only one finger... 

He met Cuddy's eyes again but this time she didn't see him ... She was standing motionless next to the woman's husband. She was pale and kept a shaking hand over her mouth staring in horror of the scene beyond her eyes... 

Wilson had just reached her and was trying to talk to her but she couldn't hear him ... she felt as in a trance ... 

"DAMN WILSON!" he yelled "TAKE HER IMMEDIATELY OUT OF HERE! OR I'LL KICK YOU ON YOUR ASS!" 

Wilson took her by the arm with a decisive gesture and put his arm around her waist. House looked at her as she exited the ER leaning against Wilson for support. He held her up as she could barely walk. 

* * *

Ten minutes later House entered Cuddy's office. His worried gaze met Wilson's look. He was standing next to the bathroom door. 

"Where is she?" He said looking around and approaching the bathroom door. 

Cuddy was kneeling on the floor next to the wc. 

"She continues to vomit ..." Wilson whispered 

House approached her kneeling on the floor next to her. She was sweaty and her body was quivering ... He dabbed her forehead and neck with a wet towel as retching continued to shake her body. He stroked her back and called her by name trying to bring her back to reality _"Lisa ..."_ She slumped exhausted on the floor, taking the left hand protectively on her lower abdomen ... she wanted to speak but could not ... her legs and arms were shaking uncontrollably ... 

"Lisa ... breathe!" 

She tried to focus on breathing and on Greg's eyes that never had left hers, but the nausea was too strong and she felt as if she were struggling to breathe ... she felt she was going to pass out ... 

"C'mon Lisa ... just breathe!" 

Her breathing was very fast and shallow. 

"I'm going to call Addison ..." Wilson said looking at House and then again at Cuddy, worried about her labored breathing 

"No ..." House replied " She's having a panic attack ...Go to take a vial of Lorazepam ... she'll lose consciousness if she'll continue to hyperventilate like this ..." 

Wilson left the room quickly while House kept trying to calm Cuddy continuing to stroke her back and keeping his hand on hers on her lower abdomen. ... Cuddy's gray-blue eyes were wide open but she didn't see him ... she kept seeing that little purple motionless body beyond her eyes. She could hear House's voice but still couldn't move ... 

She felt the needle as it penetrated her arm and leaned on House's chest while he put his arm around her shoulders. She slowly felt her body relax under the effect of the drug ... 

"It's all right Lise" he whispered "I'm here..." 

She couldn't tell how long she stayed on the bathroom floor before she felt House holding her in his arms trying to get her up on her feet. 

"Can you stand up?" he asked carefully. 

She tried to get up but her knees were still too weak and her head began to spin again ... House held her and lifted her in his arms while she rested her head against his chest. He made her lie down on her office couch. 

Addison suddenly entered Cuddy's office. Wilson had called her anyway. 

She saw immediately Lisa on the couch, motionless and closed eyes, and looked at House who sat beside her. 

"What happened?" 

"A panic attack ... I gave her 2 mg of lorazepam" House said before telling her what had happened earlier in the ER. Addison nodded her head and exited quickly the room before coming back with a portable ultrasound machine. 

"Lisa ... can you hear me?" she asked 

Cuddy nodded with her head and opened her eyes looking at her friend. 

"Do you have abdominal pain?" 

"No ..." she said in a whisper. 

She put the ultrasound probe on her abdomen and House felt the tension easing as his babies' images and heartbeats appear on the monitor and . Cuddy could see them too and was relieved even if she still felt so tired that she couldn't move ... it was probably the effect of the anxiolytic. 

Addison gestured to Wilson that momentarily left the room before putting on a glove to examine her carefully. 

"She just needs to rest, House" she said soothingly taking off her glove "the twins are doing well and she's not dilated, but her uterus is a little clenched ... Take her home ... tomorrow she'll be better ... " 

"Thank you ..." he said 

"Anytime" she smiled "Call me every time you need and ...I want to see her again in my office tomorrow morning... " 

House nodded his head while Addison left Cuddy's office to go back to the Emergency Ward. 

"He's gone, is he?" ... she asked in a whisper looking at House's eyes referring to the ER baby. 

House nodded his head and she closed her eyes as a tear run down her cheek. 

He caressed her face wiping away that tear with his thumb and she opened her eyes looking up at him. 

He stare at her as if he could read her thoughts. 

"Hey ..." he whispered massaging her lower abdomen "We won't lose them ..." 


	26. Grandchildren

A week had passed since that episode in the Emergency Room, but fortunately with the preparations for the wedding Cuddy had had much to distract herself... and the impeccable Dean of Medicine of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was back as if the incident of that horrible day had never happened ... 

She was now in her sixteenth week of pregnancy and, although she still had some episodes of hypotension and dizziness, she felt good. In only four days she'd be House's wife. 

It had been another long day. She had just taken a shower and now she was tying her lace bra as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her abdomen wasn't flat anymore although at work she could still easily hide it under her clothes. 

"You could have saved yourself the trouble" House said entering their bedroom as he embraced her from behind and kissed her neck "... I'm pretty sure I'm going to unclasp it in a very short time..." he smiled mischievously cupping her breast. 

She smiled at him in the mirror stroking his face with her hand and turning to him. 

"I'm not sure I'm the _insatiable_ one here...?" she said with a mischievous smile. They had just had a shower ... _together._

He stroked her belly which was actually grown a lot in the last three weeks and was now clearly visible when she was naked. Yet she was still extremely sexy. House suspected that she would be sexy even in her ninth month of pregnancy. 

"Your mother called" she said looking at him from the mirror "She and Thomas will arrive tomorrow in the afternoon. I told her to come here for dinner" 

He nodded his head and smiled. 

"Will you be able to not say anything until our wedding day" he asked smiling 

"Let's say I'm not so sure she won't see it" she said putting her hand on her stomach. 

* * *

The next day Blythe and Thomas arrived at about 6 pm. 

"Come on Rach, let's go to open the door" House said holding out his hand to the little girl. 

He went to open the door taking Rachel's hand. Cuddy was behind them. 

"Mom" he greeted her with a warm embrace by giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

"Hello my darling" Blythe said hugging him before meeting the curious look of Rachel who was hidden behind House's legs. She bent toward her. "Hello, Rachel. I am your grandmother, grandma Blythe." she said stroking her cheek "You are so beautiful, honey." 

House shook hands with Thomas while Cuddy approached to greet her future parents-in-laws. 

"Good evening Mrs. House. Good evening Mr. Bell" she greeted them holding their hands. 

"Oh, dear ... what a pleasure to see you. Please, call me just Blythe. Mrs. House was my mother-in-law." she said smiling and pulling her in a hug "You're even more beautiful than I remembered, honey" she said. 

Thomas embraced her affectionately too telling her to call him by his first name. 

They sat in the living room chatting and waiting for dinner to be ready. Rachel was playing on the floor with the doll which grandma Blythe had just given her. She was carefully examining the heart of her doll with her Doc McStuffins pink stethoscope. 

"Greg gave it to her a couple of weeks ago and since then it is her favorite game ..." Cuddy said laughing 

Blythe smiled and looked at Rachel's funny serious expression as she was playing doctor. 

"I can't hea _w_ d its hea _w_ t, Daddy" she said looking gravely at House and offering him the doll ... "maybe it's ... dead ..." 

House looked at her holding back a smile "Uhm ..." he said taking the pink stethoscope from Rachel's tiny hand and turning it over in his hands "Come on, Rach, let's change the battery" 

_... Daddy ..._ Blythe smiled at that word. Greg had told her on the phone that he and Lisa had already called the lawyer to formalize Rachel's adoption ... but to hear the little girl calling him _daddy_ it was a bigger emotion than she thought ... she had always wanted a grandchild ... 

* * *

They sat at the table in the dining room for dinner. 

"Would you like some wine?" Thomas asked Cuddy as he filled his glass 

"Uhm ... no, thank you ..." she said "I don't drink ..." 

"She doesn't drink ... and she's also practically a vegetarian" House smiled looking at his mother "She couldn't be totally perfect ..." he laughed. 

Rachel gave signs of tiredness before dessert time. She had played all day at the park with Marina and now she was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open. 

"Poor baby" Blythe said stroking her hair "I think it's bed time, Honey" 

"I'll do it" Cuddy said taking Rachel's hand "I'll be back in a minute" 

She returned after a few minutes. 

"She literally collapsed" she said smiling 

"Gregory was telling us about your work at the hospital" Thomas said with a smile "It must not be easy to be Hospital Administrator and Dean of Medicine and least of all to be _his_ boss" 

She smiled ... "Let's say that in so many years I've learned how to manage it ... we found our balance ..." 

"Oh, it's is not easy to _manage_ my son ..." Blythe said laughing "I know it very well" 

"Where did you graduate Lisa?" Thomas asked 

"University of Michigan" she said 

"... Michigan?" Blythe repeated surprised by that answer. She turned to his son "Is she _that_ Lisa?" Blythe asked looking at House. 

House didn't answer and Cuddy turned toward him with a questioning look. 

"She is..." he answered wondering how his mother could remember _that_ after twenty years... 

Blythe smiled and looked at Lisa "He told me about a girl he had met in the library. He didn't ever tell me about _girls_ so I thought _that girl_ had particularly impressed him ... But then it happened what we know and ... well ... it's amazing that you two met again after so many years" 

House smiled feeling embarrassed as Lisa looked at him smiling at that revelation. 

"Well let's say ... I made a good impression with her that time ... that's why she hired me eight years later ..." House said laughing to dissolve the tension. Cuddy hit him with a weak punch on the shoulder and covered her eyes with a hand shaking her head and smiling. 

"Be careful ... because I've not married you yet ..." she laughed "I better go to take the dessert" she said smiling. She got up and stood leaning with her hand at the chair back for a briefest moment. 

Blythe looked at Lisa as she walked toward the kitchen. She was wearing a black thin-straps shirt with a seam below the breast and white low waist trousers. Certainly House had taken his observation skills from her mother because she didn't miss how Greg had looked at her when she had stood up and she didn't miss even the brief moment of hesitation she had had after she sharply got up ... as if she was going to lose her balance. 

House looked at his mother but he said nothing. 

"It is really very good, Lisa" Blythe said tasting a spoonful of chocolate mousse. 

"Thank you" she replied with a smile 

"When I was pregnant with Greg I ate a lot of sweets because I fainted every time my blood sugar was a bit low" she said staring at Lisa and studying her reaction. 

Blythe and Greg were really similar... she was as spontaneous and acute as him, only that she was much calmer. 

Cuddy looked up and hesitated a moment before lowering her eyes again on her dessert trying to hide the smile that was forming on her lips. 

"Do you know it, don't you?" House asked staring at his mother and resting his chin on his hand continuing to hold her gaze 

"What? That I'll have a grandchild?" She replied smiling as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"Well let's say you've guessed ... _half of it_ " said House while Blythe watched him unable to understand what he meant ... her look passed from him to Lisa and vice versa.

"Yes Blythe, just after Christmas you'll have a little grandson" Cuddy said smiling "And ..." she made a brief pause smiling again... "And a little granddaughter" 

"Oh my God _... twins_ ...? " Blythe's eyes lit up and she jumped up to go to embrace Lisa. "You could not give me a greater joy! " she kept saying to his son without stopping to hug him. 

* * *

_A week before ..._

 _"I want to see her again in my office tomorrow morning... "Addison had said to House the afternoon in which Cuddy had had that panic attack..._

 _The day after House had insisted that she would take a couple of days off from the hospital but Cuddy had preferred to go back to work immediately._

 _"Really ... Greg" she had told him that morning "I'm fine ... and work prevents me from thinking too much ..."  
_

 _They had arrived together at the hospital and had gone straight in Addison's office._

 _"Good morning" Addison had greeted them "You look better today... you really scared us yesterday " she said glancing at Greg. "What's going on, Addy?" Cuddy asked not hiding a bit of concern "You made me an ultrasound less than 24 hours ago ... is there something that you didn't tell us yesterday?" "Actually... yes..." she said Addison looking at them them but smiling... "... the sex of the twins"_

 _... and their children were back on that screen ... "Here, Lisa" Addison said "... this is your baby boy ..." She paused moving the probe on Cuddy's abdomen "and here..._ _House ..._ _this is your baby_ _girl"_


	27. Endless love

**[This chapter is so sickly sweet that may provoke diabetes ... sorry but... these two are so beautiful together! House is out of character but he is painless and in love so he's a new House! By the way ... I'm not Jewish so I hope I didn't write too much nonsense. Have fun!]**

* * *

And the big day had arrived.

Cuddy hugged House under the bed sheets in that beautiful morning in late July. They were still naked after having made love. She kept her head and left arm resting on his chest, he kept his right arm around her shoulders and stroked her left arm and hand teasing with his fingers her engagement ring on her finger ring.

" Do you know that in _your religion_ the husband may repudiate a not-virgin bride, don't you?" House whispered failing not to laugh.

She smiled hugging him tightly.

"Yeah ..." she laughed pausing briefly "but then... you should have thought about that twenty years ago before _harassing_ my body " she laughed again "... and ... certainly before _inseminating_ my eggs ..." she lifted her head to look mischievously into his eyes and kissed him on the mouth.

"I love to inseminate your eggs" he whispered on her lips touching lightly her tongue with his.

"And in any case you can't _repudiate me_ , Dr. House" she said smiling "... You're not a Jew ... and... I'm going to continue to lose my not-virginity with you for much many years ... my dear". She turned her body toward him pressing the roundness of her abdomen on his groin as he looked into her eyes and kissed her slowly and deeply on the mouth.

"You'll always be welcome..." he replied with a flash of light in his eyes.

* * *

A couple of hours after they had left toward the coast. They had booked an hotel on the beach for them and their guests and the ceremony was scheduled in the late afternoon, before sunset.

Cuddy had been relentless with her mother when they had announced her their engagement ... she wasn't going to organize a lavish Jewish ceremony like her sister Julia ... her wedding would be a very simple civil ceremony. She was Jewish but not very practicing and House was famously atheist ... she wasn't going to drag him into a sham.

House actually had not given limitations for the ceremony.

 _"You are the Dean of Medicine ... I can understand if you want a big party like Dr. Wells did last years... I can survive for one day." He had told her._

 _Cuddy had widened her eyes in disbelief._

 _"Do not even think about it" she had replied smiling and shaking her head "I continuously participate to charity events and important ceremonies as Dean of Medicine ...but our wedding is only our Greg ..." she had said stroking House's beard._

And so they had invited only a few friends and relatives and had asked Chase to officiate the ceremony as State Official. It would have been about twenty people. They wanted to share that moment of intimacy only with the closest people. That day would have been just theirs.

They greeted each other with a kiss outside the door of their own hotel suites.

"See you later ..." he said smiling and stroking her cheek with his thumb "do not change your mind"

She looked at him in the eyes and just whispered "I love you ..." before turning around and entering her room.

* * *

A few hours later House was waiting for his bride standing on the beach under a beautiful canopy decorated with white veils and flowers. That was a surprise to his future wife ... even if their marriage would be celebrated in a civil ceremony, he had wanted that the ceremony was celebrated under a _Chuppah_ , an ancient Jewish symbol. He knew Cuddy would have appreciated it... He had even plotted with Arlene and his mother so that wouldn't be the only surprise of the day for Cuddy ...

House was standing with one hand in his trousers pocket. He was wearing an elegant black tuxedo with white shirt and black bow tie and a white rose in his buttonhole. Beside him there were Chase, who would officiate the ceremony, and Wilson, his best man.

He felt strangely agitated ... he had always considered marriage a stupid social convention and thought that monogamy was unnatural ... that before he found the woman with whom he wanted to spend his whole life. He never thought that he could love someone more than himself ...

The white chairs were adorned with white flowers and leaves and were lined up on the beach on either side of a corridor covered with a white carpet. On one side near the canopy a pianist sat at his piano chatting with a violinist. The ocean was calm and illuminated by the warm light of sunset while a warm summer breeze made the light veils of the Chuppah fluttering.

The guests had started to take their seats. His mother and his stepfather Thomas. Julia with her husband and her three children. Cameron. Thirteen and Foreman. Taub and his wife Rachel.

House saw Arlene exchanging a few words with the musicians before sitting alongside Julia.

The musicians began to play the _Canon in D Major by Pachelbel_. All turned to look at the bridesmaid who was walking towards them holding Rachel and Henry's hands.

Addison wore a slight golden ankle-length dress. The embroidered and plissé satin bodice shone slightly in the light of sunset. Her red hair gathered in an elegant hairstyle. A small bouquet of white flowers in one hand. Rachel wore a white taffeta short dress with a gold satin waistband. A coronet of white flowers in her hair. She held a little basket of flower petals. Henry wore sand-colour knee-length shorts and a white shirt with a golden bow tie and carried a small golden pillow with the wedding rings.

House felt a slight shiver in his stomach when he saw Rachel leave Addison's hand and walk alone on the carpet spreading flower petals. She hesitated a moment feeling so many eyes on her and suddenly stopped ... House looked at her as she looked around with her big lost eyes. He stepped toward her and smiled and reached out to her. Rachel gave him a big smile before running towards him. He picked her up in his arms and kissed her on the head while she wrapped her little arms around his neck. He held her for a moment and whispered something in her ear before placing her on the ground and make her sit beside Arlene. Addison had stopped to observe that sweet scene and now she was walking again holding Henry's hand and smiling at House and Wilson.

The background music gave way to the March of _Wagner_ announcing the arrival of the bride.

House felt a shiver down his spine when he saw Cuddy in her wedding dress. All stood and looked at her entry.

She wore a simple but elegant white A-line dress. The satin sweetheart neckline bodice emphasized her cleavage and was finely covered with beads and crystals that sparkled in the light of sunset. The natural waistline bodice outlined perfectly her waist and the thin layers of the skirt softly went down along her hips touching the floor and completely hiding the roundness of her lower abdomen.

The summer breeze caressed the layers of light silk of her skirt making them flutter slightly as she walked. Her hair was loose on her shoulders in soft waves embellished with a side of small white roses.

She wore a string of pearls around her left wrist and pearl earrings. The engagement ring in white gold and diamonds on her left ring finger. In her hands she held an elegant bouquet of white roses and small green buds.

She felt the emotion speed up her heartbeat and tears veil her eyes when she saw House standing alongside Wilson under that beautiful and unexpected chuppah. She took a deep breath and looked only at House ... That magic moment was just for the two of them ...

Her face was radiant as she walked slowly toward him continuing to smile.

She stopped in front of him looking him straight in his beautiful eyes as he took her hand and kissed her on the cheek.

"You're beautiful ..." he whispered in her ear.

Then they both turned toward Chase, while the music gave way only to the sound of waves crashing on the beach.

It was a short but heartfelt ceremony.

"Do you, Gregory House, take Lisa to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

House looked into her eyes holding her hand and smiled ... "Yes, I do"

Blythe wiped the tears that began to fall down her cheeks and held Thomas's hand ... for so long she had hoped to see that happiness in his son's eyes ...

"And ... do you, Lisa Cuddy, take Gregory to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

She didn't look away from him continuing to merge her gray-blue eyes with the sea-blue of his. She bit her lip to keep from letting go the emotion and smiled feeling him stroking her hand with his thumb ... "Yes, I do"

Even the seemingly cold and hard Arlene wiped away a tear ... House could be sarcastic, contemptuous and often a real pain in the ass, but he was also brilliant and he always said what he thought... qualities that she really appreciated.

"House and Cuddy ... ehm ... I mean ... Greg and Lisa ..." he waved his hand "Give each other your vows and rings." Chase said with a smile.

House took the littler golden ring from the silk pillow.

"Lisa ... I always believed that love were an illusion ... that it weren't worth committing to meet the needs of someone else than myself... I've always been a misanthrope and an egomaniac. For twenty years I haven't had the courage to let me go ... I thought it was not worth it ... but I never thought I could love someone more than myself ...but I love you more than myself. You are worth, Lisa. I won't repeat the mistakes I did in the past ... I'll be there ... always ... to comfort , protect and encourage you ... I chose you. I choose you. I'll always choose you."

 _I love you_ ... he whispered putting the wedding ring on her hand looking into her eyes.

Lisa stared at him feeling the tears veiling her eyes and took a deep breath as she took House's wedding ring from the pillow..

"Greg ... I knew the worst part of you and yet I couldn't help but loving you ... even when you were the most screwed-up person in the world ..." she laughed "... you were for me the most incredible man I had ever known and you'll always be, for me, the most incredible man I've ever known. We are different but we complement ... ... I am a perfectionist and fussy and boring and you ... you smooth the edges of my character and ... you make me better. I want you in my life. I want you in my life forever."

... _I love you_... she whispered putting the ring on his ring finger.

Chase looked at them and smiled. At that moment he wasn't the sarcastic and surly Head of Diagnostics ... she wasn't the authoritarian Dean of Medicine ... at that time ... they were just a man and a woman in love.

Chase addressed the guests with a smile ... "Those who need to testify to the world that this new House really exists can take pictures ..." he said laughing and making people laugh ... even groom and bride.

He paused.

"Now ... before seal up legally your union... someone wants to say a few words..." Chase said.

House saw the wonder in Cuddy's eyes while Rabbi Joseph Levy approached them smiling. She haven't been seeing him for so many years and she couldn't believe he was now in front of her. He was the rabbi of her childhood and he had been a dear friend of her father ... he had seen her grow and had taught her the moral and ethical precepts with which she had always tried to live her life ...

"Lisa" he said taking her hand "it has been a long time ... I'm old and you are no more a child but a beautiful woman ... a successful woman. Your father was a good friend of mine and I'm sure he would be proud of the woman you've become ... I am happy that your boyfriend wanted me to be here today to give you my blessing. Your choice does not mean giving up your roots ... " He put his hand on their hands together " Lisa and Greg ... your religions are different ... but I pray the God of Abraham and David to bless your union. I hope that your differences are not points of division but an occasion of mutual enrichment. _Mazel Tov._ "

Cuddy felt tears starting to fall and bit her lip to try to not let go. She looked for House's eyes while the Rabbi returned to his seat. In her eyes he saw joy and gratitude for that deep and unexpected gesture.

Thomas Bell, House's stepfather and Unitarian minister, approached Chase. House had asked him for some kind of Christian blessing ... he was an atheist, but as a child he had had a Christian education from his mother ... that was a gesture of respect toward his mother. Thomas said a few heartfelt words before repeating the gesture of Rabbi Levy putting his hand on Greg and Lisa's hands and calling God to protect the couple and their family.

Another tear rolled down Cuddy's cheek and she wiped it away with her hand, looking back at House in the eye and smiling.

Thomas sat down near Blythe whose face was wet with tears and held her hand in his.

Chase took over the word to conclude that heartfelt ceremony.

He cleared his throat and looked at House and Cuddy smiling.

"And now... with the power conferred upon me by the State of New Jersey ... I pronounce you husband and wife ..."

He smiled as the guests rose to their feet and began to applaud... "House, you can kiss your bride. "

House and Cuddy looked at each other. She smiled and bit her lip as he took her in his arms and gently touched her lips barely touching her tongue with his like in a movie kiss.

"House! ... I said ... _kiss the bride_... not ... barely touch the bride!" Chase said challenging him and laughing.

He looked at him and then looked at Cuddy with a gleam in his eyes that she recognized, before taking her back into his arms and kiss her deeply and slowly and softly as kissing her for the first time.

All stood and applauded and smiled.

* * *

Then they had organized a buffet dinner on the beach. The music in the background mixed up with the sound of waves crashing on the beach as the moon began to spring up in the sky.

A couple of hours later they cut the beautiful wedding cake covered with white icing and decorated with fresh flowers. The sky was dark but illuminated by many stars.

House fed Cuddy with a small piece of cake and she tasted it for a moment closing her eyes and smiling while the soft cake and cream melted on her tongue. He kissed her gently, savoring the sweetness of the cream on her tongue.

"Let's toast" Chase said handing them their goblets of Champagne.

Cuddy hesitated and looked at House ...

"Um ... I ... I do not drink ..." she said politely refusing the glass of Champagne while Chase looked at her with questioning eyes

"Come on Lisa ... you can make an exception for tonight ..." he told her laughing and handing her back the goblet.

"I'm sorry but ... I really can't make an exception ..." she smiled as House embraced her from behind enveloping her waist and putting his hands on her belly ...

"... I can't because ... I'm pregnant" she said smiling and putting her hands over House's hands highlighting her rounded belly under her light dress... "... well ... actually pregnant with twins... " She laughed as House kissed her neck and Chase came up to hug her. So did everyone else in joy and amazement.

* * *

And dinner gave way to dances. And ... the first dance was reserved for the newlyweds.

House had another little surprise for her wife ...

She saw him approach the musicians before coming back to her.

He took her hand and put his arm around her waist on the first notes of _Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross._ Cuddy looked at him speechless when she recognized that song ...

"How did you _remember_ it?" she asked with astonished eyes

"I never forgot that night ... _never_..." he whispered looking into her eyes

It was the song they had danced together that night in Michigan ... She hugged him tighter looking into his eyes before kissing him gently on the lips as the song words kept coming along with the notes.

* * *

 _My love,  
There's only you in my life  
The only thing that's bright _

_My first love,  
You're every breath that I take  
You're every step I make _

_And I  
I want to share  
All my love with you _

_No one else will do…_

 _And your eyes  
Your eyes, your eyes  
They tell me how much you care  
Ooh yes, you will always be  
My endless love _

_Two hearts,  
Two hearts that beat as one  
Our lives have just begun _

_Forever  
I'll hold you close in my arms  
I can't resist your charms _

_And love  
Oh, love  
I'll be a fool  
For you,  
I'm sure _

_You know I don't mind  
Oh, you know I don't mind _

' _cause you,_

 _You mean the world to me  
Oh  
I know  
I know  
I've found in you  
My endless love_

 _Oooh, and love_

 _Oh, love  
I'll be that fool  
For you,  
I'm sure  
You know I don't mind _

_Oh you know  
I don't mind _

_And, yes  
You'll be the only one  
'cause no one can deny  
This love I have inside  
And I'll give it all to you  
My love _

_My love, my love_

 _My endless love_

* * *

 **[** _ **I suggest you to listen to Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. I casually listen to this song watching a movie while I was writing this story and I immediately thought that it was perfect for House and Cuddy first dance]**_

* * *

 **[Here you can see Cuddy's wedding dress : _h-t-t-p:_ / / donna . nanopress . it /matrimonio/fotogallery/abiti-da-sposa-per-la-spiaggia_17073_ 6 . h t m l]**

 **( you have to write "h-t-t-p" without "-" and the link without spaces...sorry but the site doesn't allow me to correctly write this link)**


	28. Jet lag

In front of their suite House looked at her. She had bare feet after the long night and was holding with one hand her white sandals decorated with Swarovski keeping her other hand protectively on her stomach waiting for House to open the room door.

"Are you tired?" he asked softly

"No ...I'm happy ..." she replied smiling and kissing him tenderly on the lips

He took her in his arms and lifted her as they entered the room. He closed the door and laid her on the bed.

"I've always had a rule ..." he said smiling at her "no sex with married women"

She laughed stroking his nape. "Too bad ..." she said "you don't know what you're missing ..." she laughed shaking her head and looking him straight in the eyes with a mischievous look and slightly raising her skirt on one side revealing a leg.

He stroked the soft skin of her leg not being able to take his eyes off her ...

"... I say that rules are made to be broken ... ..." he said bending down to kiss her ... but she stopped him with her hand

"...yes, but ... only with _one_ married woman" she said seriously but holding back a smile

"... there's only _one_ woman I want in my life ..." he said bending over her "... and right now I'm dying to have sex with my wife ..." he bent to kiss her and this time she didn't stop him.

* * *

He kissed her on the lips sliding his tongue into her mouth while continuing to stroke her bare leg and feeling goose bumps rise on her soft skin. Her tongue sought his and caressed it deeply with increasing insistence as little moans escaping from her mouth.

"Do not take off your dress" he whispered in her ear before starting to kiss her neck and cleavage.

She smiled and began to remove his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt caressing his bare chest. He stood up and took off his pants and boxers revealing his erection in all its majesty. He licked his lips before approaching her lifting her skirt a bit more and taking off gently her white lace thong.

Now she was lying on the bed with one hand resting on the bodice at breast level and the other hand resting on the pillow near her forehead. The lifted soft skirt barely covered her private parts leaving her legs completely uncovered.

His hands stroked slowly her feet, her knees, her thighs and her buttocks not looking away from her eyes before lifting her skirt even more revealing her private parts and baring her belly just above the navel. He bent over her and kissed her abdomen savoring her skin with his tongue as she stroked the hair on his nape. He spread her legs and kissed her inner thighs. Her scent was intoxicating, and he could no long resist the temptation to put his mouth on her most intimate part. He felt her back arching as his tongue made contact with her clit and arching even more when he gently sucked on it before teasing it with circular movements of his tongue. He heard her breathing heavily and moaning beneath him. He continued to arouse her with his tongue licking her entrance. She was so hot and wet that he felt the desire grow up so much that he could not contain his erection anymore.

"I want you... inside me ..." she said breathlessly trying to articulate words ...

He raised his head to meet her gaze and bend over her to kiss her passionately on the mouth. She spread widely her legs allowing it to be more comfortably on top of her and moved her hips beneath him looking for him.

"Is my wife... _impatient_?" he whispered in her ear kissing her neck

"I want you ... now ..." she said digging her nails into his back "... right now..."

He looked into her eyes feeling a shiver down his spine at the sight of her dilated pupils ... and he didn't look away as he vigorously penetrated her making her miss the breath for a moment. He saw her trying to hold his gaze but she had to yield to that feeling of extreme pleasure... she closed her eyes digging her nails even more into his back and opened her mouth unable to repress a deep moan.

To see the pleasure in her eyes sent him almost over the edge... He continued to be surprised by how much pleasure he felt just giving her pleasure ... She was the first woman that made him felt that feeling ...

He thrust vigorously and she arched her back again before tightening him stronger letting penetrate completely in its entire length and savoring every inches of him. The slow and deep thrusts became progressively faster and faster as they moved in perfect synchrony giving each other an intense pleasure.

They had always had an incredible sexual complicity since their first time many years ago and they could perfectly identify and anticipate their needs. They are panting deeply and their bodies were shiny with sweat. Cuddy moaned louder feeling closer to the edge while her legs began to tremble.

"Oh ... oh yes ...Greg... oh yes ..."

He thrust deeper into her rubbing the base of his penis against her clit and giving her a strong orgasm. She shouted his name hiding her face against his shoulder as waves of pleasure shook her body.

He had to use all his concentration not to let go inside her ...

She took a deep breath and kissed him passionately on the lips.

"Take this dress off of me or I'm going to rip it off from myself..." she whispered

He helped her to unbutton the little buttons on the back of her bodice freeing her bare breasts as she slid to the ground her skirt. She made him sit on the bed and approached him letting him caress her belly and ass before sitting on him to let his shaft penetrate her deeply.

He closed his eyes and took a nipple in his mouth sucking it gently and then more vigorously rubbing his hand on her other breast. She bowed her head moving over him with circular movements of her hips as he kissed her neck panting. Cuddy sought again his mouth for a passionate kiss before pushing his back against the bed. Now he was lying completely and she was sitting on him as she moved up and down along its length looking into his eyes. She could feel his arousal and knew that a few movements of her body would be enough to make he come inside her ... but she wanted to prolong that pleasure.

She rose from him leaving him lying on the bed and looked at him with a mischievous look.

"To satisfy my husband is one of my marital obligations now ..." she whispered "... in every possible way ..."

He smiled looking at her as she knelt between his legs taking his shaft in her mouth sucking and licking it. She was incredibly skilled in oral sex ... House had had sex with a lot of women in the past but with her he felt that it could come just at the thought of she taking his cock in her mouth. He closed his eyes panting heavily while holding her head with his hands. She was involved so much in the pleasure of him that felt her inner part throbbing.

"Stop ..." he said hoarsely

She didn't listen to him and continued to suck and massage his cock with her hand. She wanted him to come into her mouth.

"Lisa ... stop ..." he repeated

She stopped and looked up at him. He suddenly took her by the arms and turned her back making her kneel at the edge of the bed as he was behind her. He vigorously penetrated her from behind by holding firmly her hips with his hands. He saw her tighten the sheet in her hands and heard her moan uncontrollably. He continued to penetrate her from behind by moving his hands to massage her breast and abdomen without slowing his pace. Cuddy felt that she could not contain her arousal anymore ... when he penetrated her from behind the pleasure was so intense that she didn't even need any manual stimulation to climax. She felt the waves of pleasure spread from her vagina to her whole body as she was overwhelmed by another violent orgasm, the pleasure so excruciating that it was almost painful. House could no longer control himself feeling her walls tighten around his cock and came in her with a deep groan feeling his hot sperm flooded her body.

* * *

This woman involved him so much that every time he thought he had made love to her for the first time.

He collapsed on her panting and covered in sweat trying not to oppress her with his weight and he kissed her back continuing to caress her.

"I never understood why it's called _marital obligation_ ..." he said laughing and kissing her neck again

She smiled "... I have no idea ... but you're lucky because I'm a person who respects the rules..." she laughed

She turned belly up to kiss him and he looked at her with a entranced glaze before kissing her on the mouth again.

He felt her putting a hand on her lower abdomen and looked at her as she closed her eyes for a moment ... a shiver ran down his spine.

"Are you in pain?" He asked not hiding his concern

"No..." she smiled stroking his face with her right hand while continuing to massage her own abdomen with the left "...just small contractions ... I'm fine"

He put his hand on her tense and tough stomach looking into her eyes.

"I have no pain, Greg," she repeated staring at him "... _the Dr. House part of you_ knows very well that even my uterus contracts during orgasm contractions " she laughed "... I assure you that your kids enjoyed it very much... " she laughed again and he laughed with her kissing her again on the lips.

* * *

House woke up first in the morning and smiled seeing her still hugging him. Her head was on his shoulder and her left arm embraced his chest. He watched her asleep and stroked her hair and then her hand which now wore both the wedding and the engagement rings. As their left hands touched he smiled at the look of his own wedding band near hers. It had taken almost twenty years ... for twenty years he had played _cat and mouse_ with her not having the courage to admit that she was the love of his life ... and now in just a little more than one month he had a wife, a three-years-old daughter and two other babies to come ... for the first time in his life he felt _happy_ and it was a feeling that he wasn't used to ...

He saw her move and open her eyes meeting his.

"Good morning _Mrs. House_ " he said

She smiled and tightened him closer "Good morning ..." she replied

Actually Cuddy had chosen not to change her surname after marriage ... the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was not ready to have _two_ Dr. House ... but anyway she was _his wife_... Dr. Lisa Cuddy House. House had even officially signed the documents for Rachel's adoption. _Rachel House._

"I hope you have review your French, Dr. Cuddy" he said smiling at her

"I can ... order a croissant and ... ask for the toilette ..." she laughed "... I think I can handle it"

Their flight was at 2 p.m. and in ten hours they would have been in Paris in time to see the _Tour Eiffel_ lit by the early morning lights. Cuddy had granted herself a week to visit Paris and the majestic Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy ... just the two of them as husband and wife ... She wanted to enjoy a longer trip but couldn't miss too much time from the hospital and above all she couldn't leave Rachel alone for too long. Rachel would have been with her grandma and aunt Julia during her parents' honeymoon and grandma Blythe would have stayed at Princeton for two weeks in his son's apartment to spent some time with her granddaughter.

* * *

 _A week later_

House woke up feeling the empty bed next to him and looked at the time ... it was 4 in the morning. They returned in the afternoon from their honeymoon. Their suitcases were still on the floor next to the chair.

 _"I really wish we could stay there forever..." Cuddy had told him that night after putting Rachel in bed before falling asleep with her head on his chest._

The bathroom door was ajar but the light was turned off. The house was completely silent. He got up and went downstairs barefoot. She was sitting on the sofa, in the dark, a mug in her hands as she looked out the window at the empty street lit only by the light of the street lamps.

"Can't you sleep?" he whispered trying not to scare her.

"In _my time zone_ is still 10 in the morning," she laughed as he sat beside her "fortunately I took two more days off from work ... I doubt that my foundation cream will be enough to hide my dark circles tomorrow"

She pulled her closer surrounding her with one arm. She rested her head on his shoulder and stretched her legs on the couch. They stayed in silence while he stroked her hair listening to her breathing. She lifted her head and looked for his face with her hand kissing him gently on the lips and looking into his eyes.

"Do you know a remedy for _insomnia_ , Dr. House?" she whispered with a look he knew even too well

"The best ..." he said looking for her lips again and pulling her even closer to him in a long, tender and deep kiss.

Suddenly he felt her hesitate and break away from his lips ...

"Wait ..." she said leaning back on the back of the sofa, exhaling slowly and putting a hand on her abdomen before taking his hand and place it on her belly.

"What's wrong?" he asked unable to betray the worry in his voice.

A small kick unexpectedly struck his hand. House could feel her smile despite the semi-darkness hid her face.

"I'm not the only one not sleeping tonight ..." she said still smiling feeling another little kick inside her.

House smiled and kissed her again. It was so strange to feel his kids moving inside her. As a doctor he had always considered them only fetuses ... little human beings not yet complete, a sort of parasites growing in their mother's womb ... But _these fetuses_ were _his_... his children... and as every father in the world _he_ felt the need to protect them and to protect their mother ... _you can't escape human nature_ , he thought. And basically he was more humane than everyone thought.

"I love you" he whispered stroking her belly and kissing her again, starting again what they had interrupted.


	29. Conflicts

The marriage didn't have changed them. House and Cuddy were the same as always. At work _she_ was his boss and _he_ was the crazy diagnostician she had to constantly supervise. House and Cuddy at work, Greg and Lisa at home. It was not always easy, but they were trying to leave their quarrels and boss-employee fights within the hospital walls. They can handle it... sometimes ...

* * *

"YOU WILL KILL my patient if you don't authorize a total body irradiation" he shouted raising his arms

"HOUSE! If it's not cancer, YOU will kill the patient! Wait for the results of the histological" she yelled trying to raise her voice more than him.

"DAMN CUDDY! If I'm going to wait, he'll die!"

"Oh yeah! But if it's NOT cancer but it's an infection he'll be _all but fine_ after that _your_ total body irradiation will have completely destroyed his immune system!" She paused taking a deep breath and looking him straight in the eyes "WAIT for the result of histological and AFTER I'll give you the authorization for total body irradiation. Until then STAY AWAY from the patient!"

He looked straight at her and said nothing. She could read in his eyes anger and frustration. He turned and left slamming the door. She sat down in her chair leaning her back to the seatback and closed her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before opening her eyes and came back writing her report for the meeting of the next day.

* * *

House had left the hospital after their quarrel and had told Foreman to call if there was any news.

Rachel was asleep on the couch, she had collapsed just after dinner. House was sitting at his piano as his fingers moved skillfully on the keys.

"Hey ..." Cuddy said entering the room and taking off her jacket "I'm sorry ... the meeting lasted much longer than I expected ..."

He looked up from the piano and looked at her.

"Is my patient still alive?"

She nodded her head and sighed "I authorized total body irradiation half an hour ago ..." she said in a serious tone "I told Foreman that I would have told you ... and to call you if there are other news." .. she paused ... "you were right ..."

He stared at her without said anything and just nodded.

Cuddy could clearly feel the tension between them. Sometimes it was not easy to leave the problems to the hospital, not after fights like that of that afternoon. She didn't like having to boss her husband, but House needed to be supervised and this had not changed. His methods were brilliant but too often impulsive and without a logical basis. It was her job to contain his impulsiveness, it had always been part of her job.

"I'm very tired ..." she said looking at him and rubbing her neck with her hand "and this back pain is killing me ... I'll take a shower and go to bed ..."

She was six month pregnant and although she had gained just a few pounds her belly was now very evident. For at least a month her pregnancy did not pass unnoticed anymore and she no longer tried to hide it. She wore more comfortable clothes but she didn't have yet given up her heels.

He watched her walking away and stayed in silence watching the blacks and white keys of his piano. He was still bothered by the fight in her office but he knew she was right. He knew he was impulsive and that his impulsiveness needed to be contained. This time he had been right about cancer, but he wasn't always right. She was his objective part and basically he had always respected and appreciated her for this. He agreed to work for her so many years ago because he respected her and had confidence in her judgment ... although often their medical opinions were in contrast.

Cuddy came out of the bathroom and closed the window. The cool breeze of that night in the early September gave her chills down her spine. She slipped under the thin blanket and lay down resting on her side with her head on the pillow. Her belly allowed her to be comfortable only in that position. She inhaled and exhaled deeply trying to relax as in her morning yoga. She hated going to bed alone ... she hated going to bed with that tension hanging between her and House ... she hated unresolved situations ... and she had to concentrate to hold back the tears ... since she was pregnant her hormones amplified and exasperated her mood ... and she could not control it. She snuggled under the covers and rubbed her abdomen trying to calm the little kicks inside her. It seemed they felt when she was agitated.

She felt House slip silently under the covers with her but she remained motionless. He approached her and hugged her from behind by wrapping his arm around her waist. He stood in silence savoring the scent of her hair and feeling under his hand the small and uninterrupted kicks inside her abdomen. He kissed her hair before moving to kiss tenderly her neck.

"I'm sorry ..." he whispered in her ear "I exaggerated..."

She didn't move.

"You were right ..." she whispered

"... yes I were... but again I had no evidence to support my thesis ..." he tightened her more kissing her neck again

"We will never change, won't we?" she asked hiding a smile as she turned to him to meet his eyes

"No ... we will never change" he said smiling at her and kissing her gently on the lips.


	30. Ex

"Lisa, did you see my belt?" He yelled from the hallway

"No, I didn't." She said from the kitchen

House walked into the kitchen a few minutes later buckling his belt.

"Then you have to explain me how you managed to throw it behind the piano ..." he said entering the door and looking at her with a mischievous look

She answered with a smile and a look just as mischievous as his... The night before they had made love on the couch before moving, naked, in their bedroom for the second round.

He stopped to look at her. Breakfast was ready on the table ... coffee, orange juice, cereal, milk. Cuddy was sitting at the table eating toasts and _pickles_ ...

"Do you know that now I have to ask for paternity testing, don't you?" he said laughing looking to the pickles she was eating in a disgusted way ... he literally hated pickles!

She laughed. "I know ... I can't help it ... your kids _love_ them"

"I saw cravings for strawberry or chocolate... you're the only pregnant woman having a craving for _pickles_... at 7 a.m." he laughed shaking his head and bending down to kiss her on the lips tenderly stroking her belly with both his hands.

The babies inside her kicked against his hands and House smiled kissing her neck.

* * *

House was in his office. He smiled hearing a clicking of heels on the floor. He and Cuddy had both been busy all day and he was surprised by how much he missed her after just few hours.

"I missed you ... Mommy" he said without looking up from the article he was reading.

He heard those heels stop at the door, but no answer.

"Hello, Greg"

He recognized _that_ voice and looked up. It had been at least five years ...

"What are you doing here?" He asked sharply

"Oh ... hello to you too" she said " I can see you didn't change your manners " she said smiling and approaching his desk.

"Hello... Stacy"

She was the last person he expected to see coming into his office. She had not changed at all since the last time he saw her. She wore a black pants suit, a blue low-cut top and 5 inches black pumps. She still was a beautiful and elegant woman.

"I arrived in Princeton last night, and I'll stop for a couple of days for a hearing" she said "I thought I would go to greet an _old friend_..."

" _Wilson_ is out of town for a Convention" he replied dryly

She shook her head smiling and raising a hand in surrender.

"Ok ... I deserve it" she said "... I thought we buried the hatchet years ago and we could ... I don't know ... have dinner together tonight ... just like old friends"

"... and Mark ... does he agree with that?" he asked with a quizzical look

"We ... we divorced six months ago" she said staring at him.

House raised his eyebrows and could not repress a smile. He knew too well that woman to think that she had just _accidentally_ come to visit him a few months after divorce.

"Did you talk to Wilson recently?" he asked

She shook her head. "I worked abroad and I haven't been calling him for nearly two years excluding the birthday SMS I text him every year"

House gave a nod with his head.

"I ... came to your apartment last night" she said looking him straight in the eyes "but you were not at home ..."

"Yeah" he replied "because that's no more _my home_. I no longer live in that apartment ... since when I got _married_ "

That word hit her like a cold shower.

"You ... _married_?" she laughed to try to hide her embarrassment "Are you being serious?" she looked at him in disbelief "... I mean ... you've never been a marriage _type_ ..." she shook his head ... "Who is she? ... I mean ... Is she... a Russian whose green card expired?"

He stared at her with cold eyes.

"I really don't think this any of your business, Stacy" he replied coldly.

She realized her own fault ... those words had escaped from her mouth at that unexpected news. She noticed the wedding band on his left ring and froze.

"I'm sorry ... I'm sorry ... I ... I ... I ..." she stammered "... I'm happy for you ..."

"I'm happy too" he replied dryly.

He stood up to close the window behind him and start gathering his things. Stacy looked at him, noting that he didn't limp nor use a cane anymore ...

"God... your leg ..." she whispered ...

"Yeah" he said looking into her eyes with the same cold look "there have been many newness in my life recently"

She continued to stare at him not intimidated by his gaze.

"Well ..." she said "we might nevertheless drink something together ... if your _wife_ doesn't mind"

"How many wives do you know who willingly accept that their husbands have a drink with an ex-girlfriend?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She didn't have necessarily to know it..." she said unable to hide the mischievous gleam that passed through her eyes.

"... now I understand why your marriage broke down" he said

She lowered her head and then looked up again moving closer to him reducing the distance between them.

"Greg ... you know that my marriage with Mark could not work. I didn't love him, I never loved him. I needed to be near someone who loved me, but _he_ was not _the one_ I wanted ... I made the biggest mistake of my life when I dumped you after your surgery and I'll never forgive myself for that ... " she sighed " and... five years ago... I would have had to choose you ... I chose Mark and I regret it every day ... I keep thinking about those nights we spent together as _lovers_ ... ... "

She approached him as if about to kiss him. He didn't move.

"I'm married, Stacy. You made your choice years ago." he said in a firm tone

"Come on, Greg ... you have never been very interested in the _sacred bond of marriage_ and you certainly didn't mind about _that bond_ when you had sex with me behind my husband's back" she said with a mischievous look getting closer to him.

They were so close that they could kiss. Stacy could smell his scent and the warmth of his breath ... but he stopped her putting a hand on her shoulder and stepping back.

"I'm not going to kiss you Stacy. I'm not going to have sex with you behind my wife's back. And.. unlike you... I didn't married my wife just because I wanted to have beside a person who love me. I have no regrets for the past and I would not to come back. I made my choice. "

Stacy felt like another cold shower hit her and tried to regain her composure in front of his refusal.

"Ok." she said approaching him and kissing him on the cheek "But...if you'll have second thoughts ... I'm at Carlton Hotel until tomorrow evening" she said turning and exiting his office.

* * *

 _The day after_

* * *

Cuddy was standing in the differential room holding a patient's folder.

"Please, House, not again ..." the tone of her voice was exasperated in front of his umpteenth request " I'm not going to authorize a brain biopsy in a 19-years-old girl without  
first having a plausible evidence for such a procedure"

"And how do you think I can give you the proof you are looking for if that proof is just right inside her skull?" he shouted looking straight into her eyes.

Their arguments were not really changed despite their marriage... they could divide their private and work life quite well and to foreign eyes they didn't seem absolutely like husband and wife.

"Do another CT with contrast and repeat the lumbar puncture! God House, she already had a stroke an hour ago! Do you think to make her feel better cutting away blindly a piece of her brain?" she yelled louder than him to impose her decision. She still was his boss and the last word was anyway hers.

"Sure Cuddy! Fine! Go back in your office and sit on your administrative ass while people die ... sometimes I wonder why you put me in charge of this damned Diagnostics Departm..." he shouted but stopped without completing his sentence seeing Stacy standing on the door of the differential room.

"I'm sorry" she said with a smile "I didn't want to disturb ..."

"What are you doing here?" he asked sharply

"I thought that maybe you thought back to the offer I did to you yesterday ..." she said looking into his eyes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "We could have lunch together ..."

Cuddy didn't miss the look in Stacy's eyes and House didn't miss the one in his wife's eyes... _DAMN!_ He thought. _For what damn reason I didn't tell her that Stacy came in my office yesterday ..._

"Stacy ..." Cuddy said surprised, feigning a smile "I didn't know you were in Princeton"

"Hi Lisa" she said embracing her and pausing to look at her belly "Wow... you're beautiful ..." she said "I didn't know you are pregnant... how many months are you?"

Cuddy smiled leaning her left hand on her abdomen "I'm six months pregnant."

Stacy saw Cuddy's weeding band and engagement ring as she leaned her hand on her belly. "I'm so happy for you ..." she said, "I hope your husband can realize how much lucky he is" she laughed embracing her again.

Cuddy looked at House as she hugged Stacy. "So do I" she said

House noticed the flash in her eyes and knew he had to give her a plausible explanation.

"How's Mark? Is he in Princeton too?" she asked trying to sound as natural as possible breaking away from her embrace.

"No, he's not. I'm in Princeton for work only until tonight" she said "and ... actually I have not been seeing Mark for a while ... we divorced six months ago..."

Cuddy felt her heart miss a beat and saw the look that House gave Stacy ... as if she had just said something that could have avoid saying ... She felt almost faint but tried to maintain her composure not leaving her emotions leaked.

"I'm sorry" she said trying to hide the lump in her throat.

"Oh...don't worry..." she said "actually our marriage was over a long time ago ..."

House knew Cuddy too well not to guess her thoughts even though she was pretending a false composure. He saw her biting her lower lip before speaking again.

"Uhm ... excuse me, but I have to go now ... ... bye Stacy" she gave her a fake smile and turned exiting the room without looking at House as he instead followed her with his eyes.

"Wow" Stacy said as Cuddy exited "A lot of things have happened at Princeton-Plainsboro since I was here last time". Then she turned to House again "So ... this lunch?"

House shook his head.

"I thought I was clear yesterday" he said annoyed "I'm not going to have lunch with you, Stacy. I'd rather have lunch with my wife"

"Does your wife work here? ... in the hospital?" She asked almost surprised that that mysterious wife really exist.

"You talked with her just a second ago" he said dryly moving past her and exiting the office without waiting for her reaction.


	31. Jealousy

**Hey guys, I'm so happy you're so many all around the world reading this story. I've just a few reviewers but I'm also receiving PM saying me to go on. I'm happy there are still so many Huddy fans! So... keep reading! After thirty chapters I'm beginning to think in English (...actually to think in my broken English...) and it's very weird! This story is going to end in a few chapters... but I'm planning to write other Huddy stories. Here another chapter for you! Enjoy!**

* * *

He entered her office without knocking.

She was standing back turned leaning against her desk and was watching out of the window. She didn't turn around when she heard the door open, but she wipe with her left hand a few tears running down her cheeks.

He approached her and noticed her wet eyelashes on her impassive face. He tried to touch her but she pulled back.

"Go away!" she said in a whisper.

"Lisa ... it's not what you're thinking..." he said touching her arm.

She turned to him and looked at him straight in the eyes removing his hand from her arm.

"So... what I'd be thinking, Greg? ... Tell me!" she said as tears veiled her eyes again.

House put a hand on her hip and tried to pull her closer but she withdrew and pull away his hand ...

"Don't touch me!" she whispered without looking at him.

He kept to look at her... he wanted to hug her and hold her in his arms making her feel that she had nothing to fear...

"She came into my office last night ... I should have told you ..."

"So _why_ the hell didn't you do that?" The tone of her voice was cold and dry.

"... because I knew _how_ you would have reacted " he paused for a moment "I knew you'd react _like this_ "

She pierced him with a sharp look and shook her head looking away before returning to stare into his eyes

"Yes, of course ... so it's _my fault_ ..."

He heard her voice crack as she bit her lip without lowering her eyes

"It's not what I said, Lisa"

Cuddy sighed lowering her head and putting a hand on her abdomen, then she turned again towards him. House could read in her eyes anger and indignation but also disappointment and fear...all mixed together ...

"When were you planning to tell me that your ex-girlfriend was in town? What? She dumped her husband and come back straight to you? ... Sorry if this doesn't seem a coincidence to me, Greg. Do you think I don't remember that the last time she was in Princeton you slept with her? ... and she was still married!"

She paused and closed her eyes putting a hand on her face and moving away a lock of hair from her forehead as trying to ward off the image that had appeared in her mind.

He could feel her pain as he watched her rub her abdomen and try to control her breathing to keep her composure and not let go.

"Lisa, please, you should sit down." he tried to calm her. He knew that all that stress was not good for her.

"So...are you caring about me now?" her tone was still sharp.

"Lisa ... it was five years ago ... I don't know what's in her mind and I really don't care but I have no intention of having sex with her..." his tone was firm but gentle but again she didn't let him continue and shot him again with her eyes

"Sure!" She said "and that's why you ..." she paused feeling her own voice trembling ... "...why you didn't tell her about _us_ ..." Her look was cold but misty with tears.

"I told her I'm married ..." he said "none of her business _with who_ "

Cuddy shot him again with her eyes.

"Of course! So she could feel no guilty to have sex with you behind your _hypothetical wife_ 's back " She raised her voice but her voice trembled ... "Come on, don't tell me that you're so blind not to have noticed the way she looks at you? I don't think you're so naive to not understand that it isn't _lunch_ what she really wants to have with you! "

"She asked for dinner together last night. I said no. What else did I have to do?" He said in an exasperated tone.

"You should have talk to me" she said, looking him straight in the eye

She saw him roll his eyes and sigh.

"Are you still interested in her?" she whispered as she lacked the words

"Come on _Lise_ ... you know that I'm not " he said raising his voice slightly and making a gesture with his hand.

"No , I don't ... I don't know anymore ..." she whispered looking down and feeling tears began to fall down her cheeks.

He approached her and took her face in his hands wiping her tears with his thumb. This time she allowed him to touch her and she didn't move away.

"I'm sorry I didn't told you last night" he whispered looking into her eyes "I thought I was clear with her and I thought she wouldn't come back. I didn't want to worry you and... I didn't want to stress you ... There is _nothing_ you have to worry about .. _nothing_. That chapter of my life was closed many years ago and I have absolutely no regrets. I made my choice ... _you_ are the only woman I want in my life" he said lowering his hand to gently stroke her abdomen.

She hugged him burying her face on his chest. He felt her relax in his arms while her tears soaked his shirt. He stroke her back with both hands slowly moving his hands from her shoulders to her back and again from her back to her shoulders.

"I love you, Lisa... only you... there's no other woman I want to stay with." he said kissing her head and inhaling the scent of her hair.

She raised her head to look into his eyes and stroked his stubble with her left hand. She sought for his lips with hers but hesitated waiting for him to kiss her. House looked into her eyes and touched her lips before tighten her more and kiss her gently on the lips. Cuddy felt the tension melt away and pressed closer to him putting a hand behind his head to make the kiss deeper. They could both feel the little restless kicks between them as they kissed.

She let him kiss her for a long time before stepping back and placing a hand on his chest, still holding his hand with her other hand.

"Let's go for lunch?" she asked with a hint of a smile

He loved her smile. He looked into her eyes and nodded and she stared back. He knew her too well not to recognize _that_ look.

"Do you know that is not _lunch_ what I would like to have with you now, don't you?" she said smiling and kissing him on the mouth.

* * *

House stepped out from the elevator toward his office.

He stopped seeing Stacy still there, sitting on the chair in front of his desk.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked sharply.

It had been almost two hours since their last conversation.

"I'm sorry ..." she said looking into his eyes "I didn't mean to make you argue with Lisa " she added

"Oh ..." he laughed "you don't mind at all, Stacy" he shook his head "I know you too well and you're used to always get what you want"

"Yeah" she smiled before adding "You and ... Lisa?" she shook her head "You two are so _different_..."

House didn't say anything.

"I heard your argument about that patient this morning... she is your boss and treats you just like an _employee_ ... Is that what you like about her, Greg? Do you like the way she boss you around imposing her authority?"

"It's our job, Stacy. It has been being for many years" he replied dryly

Stacy looked at him.

"Tell me you never think to _us_..." she said with a mischievous look "... I often think to the warmth of your body and to the sensation of your muscles under my hands ..."

She stood up and walked over to him keeping to look into his eyes.

"You had your chance, Stacy ... a long time ago" he said.

"But...it's not too late if you want to..." she said approaching him and stroking his face

House stopped her hand in midair taking her by the wrist and preventing her from touching him.

"I moved on, Stacy! You are my past. Lisa is my present and my future." he paused staring at her eyes "Do you really think I was still here waiting _for you_?"

"No..." she said lowering her eyes for a moment before returning to stare at him "... but... if you are so happy and in love with her _why_ didn't you tell her I was in town?" She laughed a bitter laugh "I'll tell you _why_ , Greg ... _Because_ the idea of spending a night with me in my hotel passed through your head ... even if you don't want to admit that even to yourself" She looked at him in a satisfied and intriguing way.

"I owe you no explanation, Stacy" he replied staring back at her.

"I already had my answers" she said with mischievous eyes.

House shot her with his eyes and raised his voice. His tone was cold.

"There is no mystery. _Your_ answers are only your fantasies. I never thought about cheating on her." he paused briefly "Obviously you _deliberately missed_ the detail that she is more vulnerable now that she is pregnant ... I didn't tell anything because there was nothing to tell."

Stacy looked at him for a moment speechless before giving him another bitter smile.

"I never thought that you wanted to be a father yet" she said raising an eyebrow "What? Did you impregnate her and then did you marry her?"

"There are many things you don't know me about me Stacy" he said shooting her again with his eyes but not responding to her provocations.

"Oh ... I know you very well, Greg" she said touching with her hand the hem of his collar "and I know you better than her..."

"I HARDLY THINK SO!" Cuddy said in her _administrative_ tone as she enter the room.

Stacy didn't move and looked back at her.

"How long were you here, Lisa?" she asked defiantly.

"Enough ..." she replied staring at her and approaching House so that she can be perfectly in front of Stacy.

"What is not _clear_ to you, Stacy?" she asked in a firm and extremely calm tone.

Stacy stared back at her without answering.

"You're such a naive, Lisa ..."

"Oh" she laughed "I'd be _naive_...? Why Stacy? Because I trust my husband?" She stared straight at her "No ... I'm not naive... And yes, I trust him." She paused and took a deep breath, "I'll tell you just once ... _STAY AWAY FROM US_!"

Stacy didn't leave her composure and straightened her back as if to prove that she didn't bend to her.

"You're not the woman for him, Lisa" she said as if she was simply stating the facts.

Cuddy laughed bitterly. "Sure. Because _you are_ the perfect woman for him! ...The woman who betrayed his trust and then dumped him when he needed you more... the woman who slept with him while Mark was in a hospital bed ... oh yeah Stacy...you're really a good example of morality ... the perfect woman ... "

She paused but she didn't give Stacy the time to reply.

"I'm going to tell you _what_ you really are, Stacy. You're a huge _bitch_ who pretended to be my friend for years. Why don't you follow my example and you go and get pregnant by the first guy out there? That's what you think about me and I'm sure you could do that very well as you're a whore! "

Stacy looked into her eyes

"Don't you dare ..." she tried to say

"Oh...I dare" Cuddy continued "I'm not only _vulnerable_ at this time - she said - I'm also particularly _irritable_. Don't you dare to challenge me, Stacy. You're just a great whore ... and I'll say it again ... _stay away from my family_."

Stacy looked at House to study his expression. He was looking at Cuddy and seemed mesmerized by her. He liked to see her so fierce to defend her territory.

"I don't think you are the one who has to say I have to go away" she said looking at her and then at House.

"From what I heard before Stacy, Greg already said you that...so, now, I'm telling you for the last time ... _DO NOT CHALLENGE ME_!" she raised her voice taking a step toward her.

House put a hand on her back. " _Lisa, calm down"_ he whispered caressing her back with his hand to let her know she need to relax. She looked at him for a moment and lowered her voice but kept to speak staring at Stacy's eyes.

"This is _my_ hospital. Go away! Or I swear I'll throw you out by kicking your ass!"

Stacy held her gaze for a moment before turn and left without replying and without looking back.

"That's _my girl_!" he laughed.

"Did I already tell you how much incredibly sexy you are when you're jealous?" He laughed again drawing her to him.

She hit him with a weak punch on the chest before pulling him closer and kissing him deeply on the mouth.

"They're kicking like mad" he said putting his hand on her abdomen and feeling the small continuous kicking inside her.

She looked down at her belly and put her hand on his.

"I know how to relax them" she said looking into his eyes with a mischievous smile and touching her lips with hers "... in the janitor's closet..."

"I love your hormonal changes " he laughed kissing her again.


	32. Gifts

It was the end of October and Cuddy was on her third trimester of pregnancy. She had not given up completely to her heels yet, but her belly was now so voluminous that walking all day back and forth the hospital often gave her a bad backache.

"Don't you think you should stop and rest for a while?" he asked taking her suddenly by the arm as she passed near him in the hallway of the third floor

"Oh my God ... Greg! One time or another you're going to give me a heart attack!" she said laughing and putting a hand on her stomach

"I've watched you running back and forth all day since this morning" he said "if you're trying to get into labor, Lisa, you're on the right way"

She rolled her eyes before looking at him again.

"I'm fine" she said "Don't be apprehensive, Greg."

"I'm not being _apprehensive_ , Lisa ... I'm being _objective_ ," he said "you're thirty weeks pregnant, so it's almost the end of your seventh month. That means that the twins weigh just over 2 lb each one and their lungs are not fully developed yet. I know that _your hospital_ has an outstanding Neonatal Intensive Care Unit but I'd rather not put it to the test " he said without looking away.

She swallowed and bit her lip.

"Ok" she said "I'm going to my office to lie down for a while"

He nodded his head "I'm going with you"

"Don't you trust me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow

"No, I don't" he said smiling and walking toward the elevator next to her. 

* * *

_A few hours later._

Cuddy stepped out of the shower and put on her bathrobe. She smiled seeing that now her soft and white robe didn't wrap completely her body anymore.

House was sitting on the bed and pretended not to look at her as she approached the bed. She was wearing only a mauve lace bra and panties. When she was turned by back she barely seemed pregnant, but when she was turned by side her belly was really big. It was still more than two months at the expected delivery date but both of them knew that generally twin pregnancy didn't arrive at the end of the ninth month.

"Did you talk to Addison?" he asked looking up from the medical journal he was reading

"Yes, I did. But then she had an emergency in her ward so I'm going to see her tomorrow morning to talk about that again." she said

"Are you still really convinced about not wanting a C-section?" he said raising an eyebrow.

"Women give birth since the dawn of time" she said "If the babies are in the right position, why not to try a natural childbirth?"

"I bet you'll change your mind when you'll be in labor" he laughed looking into her eyes

She grabbed her pillow and threw it forcefully toward him hitting him on the chest.

He looked at her with a look of defiance and with a quick movement grabbed her by her wrist pulling her on the bed. He straddled over her as she lay on her back and blocked her hands with his. She laughed as he tried to kiss her neck. _God!_ _You're so beautiful_ he thought looking at her. Her belly, between them, had never been an obstacle for their intimacy. 

* * *

He kissed her deeply on the mouth meeting her tongue with growing passion. Cuddy couldn't move because he still held her hands with his and blocked her hips sitting on her legs. It was thrilling to be completely at his mercy. He could completely dispose of her body and this thought turned her on. He kissed her neck and ran down her neckline sending shivers down her spine. He slowly run down lower and kissed her abdomen savoring her skin with his tongue. He paused to tease her navel which had been pushed outward by the volume of her uterus, but was still extremely sensitive, perhaps more than before. He had to leave her hands to run down even lower. He slipped her panties looking into her eyes as she undid her bra throwing it on the floor. He stroked her inner thigh before touching the warm fluid between her legs. She moaned as he caressed her arousing her clit with his thumb. He saw her arching her back surrendering to the pleasure that he caused her. He felt his erection pressing against the fabric of his boxers.

"I want you inside me" she moaned

She looked at him as he stood up and took off his boxer freeing his cock. He took it in his right hand and rub it up and down for a few seconds, looking into her eyes.

She kept watching him and run her tongue over her lips as she lowered her own hand to touch herself as he had done earlier. She knew that that sight drove him insane.

"Oh God ..." he said hoarsely looking as she stroked herself staring at him.

"If you go on like this I'm going to come on your stomach" he said continuing to move his hand along his length.

She smiled. "How do you want me?" She said with a mischievous look

He lay down on the bed and helped her to straddle him. It was the most comfortable position for her now that she was visibly pregnant. She looked into his eyes as he slid inside her in all its length and she couldn't suppress a moan when she felt him filling her. In that position he could penetrate her deeply and she could reach her peak very quickly. She began to move above him as he held her by her hips favoring her initially slow and then faster and faster movements. Their breathing became increasingly labored. She kissed him on the lips for a long time although it was increasingly difficult not to break away from him looking for air. She pulled away from his mouth and sat better on him arching her back and head behind and resting her hands on his chest. Her eyes were closed and her mouth half open while she moaned more and more. House tried to keep his eyes open but the sight of her like that, as she sat on him riding him so wildly, sent him completely in ecstasy and felt he was going to come inside her. He felt her legs shake and her breathing become faster as her orgasm invaded her body in waves of pleasure. House couldn't help himself over and climaxed inside her. He loved when they both climax simultaneously, he felt like they really was _ONE_. He kept to thrust inside her to prolong her pleasure until she collapsed on him panting and sweaty. She looked for his mouth again to kiss him, before moving and let herself fall on the bed next to him.

He stroked her back. He didn't like to cuddle in the past. Since they were together he liked caress and cuddle her after having made love almost as much as he liked making love with her. He continued to caress her moving his hand to massage her now tense and contract abdomen.

"So Dr. House" she laughed turning to face him "Should I rest at work so then I can _overwork_ in our bed?"

"Why not?" He laughed and kissed her on the lips "It seemed a good idea"

She nodded her head and smiled clutching closer to him, before closing her eyes and falling asleep in his arms. 

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't come with you for the ultrasound" he said entering her office and looking at her eyes "... I got stuck with a case..."

"I know it, Greg. Don't worry. It was just a check." she said putting on the desk the document she was reading. "But... if you'll leave me alone during labor I'm going to _ensure that you can impregnate a woman anymore_ " she said looking at him and then at his groin with a _dangerous_ smile.

"I got it. I'll mark it on my agenda." he said laughing "So ... what did Addison tell you?"

"We're fine. Right now they are both in the right position. If they will stay like this I can try a vaginal delivery. Addison wants to hospitalize me at the end of the thirty-seventh week and induce labor... to avoid complications ..."

He felt her perplexity.

"She is the expert, Lisa" he said "And you well know that you'll hardly reach your fortieth week anyway"

"Yeah" she smiled "It's just that ... there's less time than I expected ..." she said resting a hand on her stomach "I think it's time to choose their names..."

"Why? I thought we already decided to call them just _Baby-Boy and Baby-Girl_ " he laughed and made her laugh.

Until then Cuddy had refused to choose names and even to shop for their babies. She wasn't _superstitious_ but she couldn't avoid the fear that something could go wrong ... 

* * *

"How about going home _boss_?" he asked entering her office

She looked up from her desk and closed the folder in front of her.

"Yes" she said with a smile "Let's go. Tonight I'm really very tired ..."

He took her coat from the coat rack and helped her to put it on before bending to kiss her lightly on the lips.

They walked side by side toward his car.

"Do not complain to me if you have to walk for half a mile before reaching my car" he said " _the sly boss-lady of this hospital_ decided to revoke my handicapped authorization."

She smiled.

"Maybe because ... you are no longer _a disabled_ , Dr. House?"

"You're too _punctilious_ Dr. Cuddy" he laughed putting an arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple before opening her car door. 

* * *

"I told Marina that we'll be a bit late..." he said looking at her as he drove in the traffic.

She turned to face him.

"Why?" She asked a bit puzzled

"I have to run an errand before going home"

She nodded and continued to look out of the window.

Ten minute later House stopped the car in the mall parking lot.

"You hate the mall" she said looking even more puzzled.

He didn't answer and got off the car taking Cuddy's hand and heading towards the main entrance. They walked among the shop windows and entered the bookstore.

"Good evening" he said to the pretty girl behind the counter. She was approximately eighteen-years-old and had curly and red hair.

"I called to reserve a book. Gregory House."

"Of course Mr. House" she said. She looked for it on the shelf behind her and picked up a package. "Here it is" she said smiling "It's 15 $"

House handed her the bill and left a generous tip.

"Thank you Mr. House and goodbye. Goodbye Mrs. House" she said smiling and looking at them as they exited the store.

They were walking side by side toward the exit of the mall when House suddenly stopped.

"Here" he said.

"What?" Cuddy looked up at him before realizing that they had stopped in front of the shop window of a baby store.

He took her hand and pulled her into the store.

"Buy something! Whatever you want ... but buy _something_ " he said.

Cuddy looked at him hesitating and biting her lip.

"I know that you are a Jew" he said "but given that practically you'll give birth to our kids around December 25, I would like to avoid having to lay them both _naked in a manger_ " he laughed making her laugh

"Ok. I got it. " she said laughing 

* * *

She had bought only two rompers, one for her baby girl and one for her baby boy...but at least it was a start.

She looked at the pink chenille romper and at the light-blue one resting on her bedroom dresser and touched them lightly. Both had a small white bunny on the tummy. They were so small. In six weeks she was going to hold her babies in her arms and she smiled at that thought. House was right. She had to stop worrying and prepare herself for their arrival.

"She literally collapsed at half of her bed-story" House said entering their bedroom. He approached her and hug her waist from behind caressing her belly.

"Are you tired?" he asked looking at her in the mirror.

"Yes, a bit..." she said stroking his face and looking at his face with a puzzled look "Are you _diagnosing me_...?" she smiled.

"You're still having contractions." he said as he felt her tense and contract abdomen release slowly under his hands "You should rest a little more."

"They're not painful, Greg... just annoying" she said " Braxton Hicks contractions are normal at this stage of pregnancy"

"I know" he said "but it's a sign of fatigue and you didn't have to underestimate it."

"Ok Dr. House" she said smiling and stroking his stubble "I'm going to lie down. Tonight just rest and cuddles then."

She slipped under the covers and settled a pillow behind her head as he slipped under the covers with her.

"Here" he said handing her the package that he had bought at the bookstore and kissing her gently on the lips "For tonight this will be your relaxing pastime"

Cuddy gave him a questioning look and unwrapped the book. She couldn't suppress a smile reading the title. _How to name your child._

"Okay" she said laughing and starting to turn the pages "Let's name these children."


	33. Thanksgiving - Part 1

"When a month ago I told you to start shopping for the kids I didn't mean you to buy... the whole mall" he laughed looking at her from the doorframe of Rachel's bedroom which in a short time would have been the twins' bedroom too. 

"Well... you had to be more _precise_ then..." she smiled as she placed in the drawer the last pink romper of Madeline.

Two light wood baby cots were ready beside Rachel's bed even if for the first few months House and Cuddy had planned that their twins would have slept in the two small cribs placed beside their bed so it would be easy to take care of them during night.

"Please... tell me that that is not William's ..." he said picking up a tiny white onesie with a _"Mommy's love"_ bright red writing on it.

She laughed and nodded her head. "Sure" she said "this is Madeline's one" she added showing him an onesie like the first but with the writing _"Daddy's love"._

House smiled as she finished put their twins' baby clothes in the drawer.

"I have to get dressed" she said "I have a Board meeting in two hours"

"You're almost at the end of your eighth month" he said "You ought to slow down, _Dr. Cuddy_ "

"It's 10 o'clock in the morning and I'm still at home. I've already _slowed down_ Dr. House"

* * *

It lacked a month at her scheduled hospitalization for a induced delivery but her suitcase was ready since a few days next to the armchair in their bedroom.

"My mother and Thomas are coming tonight" House said approaching her and watching as she put her clothes on the bed.

"Fine" she said smiling "It's our first Thanksgiving as husband and wife" she said approaching to kiss him gently on the lips.

He encircled her waist with his arm pulling her closer to him and kissing her deeply. She kissed him back before suddenly break away from his mouth placing a hand on his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

She kept her eyes closed and her breathing was labored. He heard her to choke a groan as she leaned on him to find support putting her left hand on her lower abdomen.

"I n-need to...l-lie d-down ..." she whispered opening her eyes to look at him as another contraction choked the words in her throat

She was pale and slightly sweaty on her forehead. She leaned her right hand on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes again exhaling deeply as the strong pain in her lower abdomen radiated to her back. He held her in his arms and helped her to lie down on the bed.

"I call Addison" he said rubbing her back.

"Don't... i-it's going a-away... " she whispered "I-I'm fine ..."

"You're definitly not _fine_ , Lisa" he said with a worried look "Braxton Hicks contractions aren't painful... these are _real_ contractions and you just entered your thirty-fourth week..."

"They're not regular..." she whispered "I just have to try to relax..."

She kept lying down and felt the pain fade until it disappears. She lay down at least half an hour with House sitting on the bed beside her.

"How are you?" he softly asked.

"Better..." she said with a faint smile "It seems it was a false alarm ..."

He helped her to seat slowly. She looked into his eyes stroking his stubble before reaching out to take her phone from the nightstand.

"Trisha? It's me ... I had an _unforeseen difficulty_ ... please call Dr. Wells and reschedule of a couple of hours my 12 a.m. meeting. Yes... at 2 p.m. will be fine. Thanks. See you later "

House looked seriously at her.

"I _swear_ that I'll stay at the hospital only for the time to attend this meeting. I've got to solve some issues before my maternity leave" she said looking into his eyes "Just a couple of hours. And tomorrow I'll take a day off for Thanksgiving "

"Ok" he said stroking her face and her belly. 

* * *

"May I sit with you" Wilson said approaching Cuddy

She was eating her Caesar Salad sitting at a table in the hospital café.

"Sure" she replied with a smile "House sent you here to check on me?" she asked looking into his eyes and biting a little piece of parmesan.

Wilson smiled sitting down in front of her and nodding.

"He told me about what happened this morning" he said

Cuddy rolled her eyes before returning to look at him.

"I've been having contractions for a couple of months. Occasional contractions. It had never been painful except the one of this morning. I'm fine. I had my last check-up a few days ago and according to _your girlfriend_ it was all right. I'm just tired..."

Wilson smiled.

"So ... still a couple of weeks and you'll give up the scepter of power?" he asked.

"Right" she replied with a smile "Not burn down _my_ hospital while _you_ 're the boss!"

"Sure... boss! I'll be your perfect substitute. And I can manage House. I'll be your _photocopy_ with him too... but ... no sex." he laughed

Cuddy laughed and waved her hand as to say " _of course"_

"So ... you and Addison are going to come tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner?" She asked biting a lettuce leaf.

"Sure. I hope she won't have any emergency in her ward."

Cuddy nodded her head and smiled.

"Fine" she said putting down her fork. "Our meeting is in five minutes, it's time to go."

* * *

"I thought it was never going to end ..." Cuddy said to Wilson as she rearranged the papers on the table in front of her.

"Almost three hours ... a new record" he laughed standing and looking at her.

Cuddy got up slowly putting a hand on her back and sighing.

"My back is killing me..." she said looking at Wilson and smiling slightly

"Come on" he said taking her leather briefcase and heading for the elevator "I'll take you to your office"

They were waiting side by side for the elevator door to open when he felt her lean on him to find support. He looked at her with a worried look taking her arm as the elevator door opened.

"Lisa..."

She didn't answer.

"Come on" he said enveloping her waist with his arm and helping her to get into the elevator.

"I-I c-can't s-stand..." she whispered as a contraction prevented her from speaking.

She leaned against the elevator wall and slowly collapsed on the ground unable to stand on her feet. Her breathing was labored, fast and shallow and her eyes were closed. Wilson pressed without hesitation the button number 3 on the keypad.

"C'MON!" he shouted angrily at the elevator.

The elevator stopped and the door opened on the third floor hallway.

"I NEED SOME HELP!" He shouted to a young nurse as he tried to help Cuddy to stand up from the floor.

The nurse approached him but suddenly stopped realizing that the patient on the floor was the hospital boss, _her_ boss.

"CALL Dr. Montgomery!" he shouted "NOW!"

He saw Addison coming out of her study after having heard her boyfriend's voice in the hall. She immediately ran toward them.

"James, what happened?" She asked looking at Lisa with a worried look.

"I don't know..." he said "but she's having contractions and she can't stand up... she already had contractions this morning"

"Ok" she said helping Lisa to lean on her and Wilson "Let's go in the exam room."

They helped her to lie down on the examination table and Addison examined her carefully.

"James...please, call House" she said. Her tone was professional but also a little worried.

* * *

 _to be continued..._


	34. Thanksgiving - Part 2

House was in the differential room when his phone rang. Chase watched him as House listened seriously at the voice into the receiver.

"I'm on my way" he said suddenly exiting the room without looking at anyone and heading quickly toward the elevator.

He opened the exam room door without knocking. His worried look immediately looked for his wife. She was lying on the examination table. Her eyes were closed and her left hand was on her forehead while Addison was arranging a double drip on Lisa's right arm.

"I'm going to admit her, Greg" Addison said looking up at him and approaching him.

She handed him a cardiotocography pattern.

"She's having contractions and her cervix is already 1 inches dilated. I'm administering her some magnesium sulfate and a tocolytic agent to try stop her contractions ... I'm trying to slow her pre-term labor to earn time and I'm giving her even steroids to accelerate the development of twins' lungs. She's very upset right now but I can't give her a tranquilizer ... if I can't stop her labor I can't risk the babies have a drug-induced respiratory depression after birth... "

House looked at her and said nothing.

He approached Cuddy taking her hand and kissing her forehead.

"I'm here" he whispered.

* * *

Cuddy opened her eyes and looked around. The drip was still attached to her arm and the monitor next to the bed constantly kept monitor her and her babies. The light was dim and it was still dark outside the window. She turned her head toward the armchair beside the bed where House was asleep. He woke up feeling her moving in bed.

"What time is it?" she whispered looking at him.

He glanced at his wristwatch.

"It's five o'clock in the morning" he said "How are you feeling?"

She shook her head and closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek.

"I'm...scared ..." she whispered.

House went to the bed and took her hand kissing her gently and caressing her face.

"It's too early..." she whispered as another tear ran down her cheek "They're still so... little..."

"Don't worry ... and try to relax ..." he said softly " at 34 weeks their survival odds are 98% and the risk of neurological complications is low ... they should weigh at least 4,5 lb each... their lungs aren't completely mature yet but perhaps they shouldn't need to be put on life-support system ... sucking reflex ripe at this pregnancy stage and they will probably be able to eat without a feeding tube... "

"I can't lose them..." she whispered closing her eyes.

House didn't answer. He didn't know if he had to be objective or whether he had just to console her by pretending a fake calm. It was easier for him just to analyze the facts. A pre-term labor at 34 weeks was a risk for their babies. Respiratory distress, neurological complications, low weight, feeding difficulties, impaired regulation of body temperature... without forgetting the possible effects on the mental health of the mother in case of a negative epilogue... He tried to dismiss that thought. On the other hand he couldn't deny that any fetuses survive even when born at only 25 or 26 weeks.

"Did you called your mother?" she asked trying to change the subject

House nodded.

"My mother wanted to come here, but I convinced her to wait for news at home"

Lisa nodded her head.

"I called your mother and Julia too" he said "they'll come to visit you in the afternoon"

Cuddy nodded her head again.

"It's not the Thanksgiving I hoped ..." she said as he stroked her hair.

He looked at the monitor and held her hand anticipating a new contraction that he saw appearing on the screen. Cuddy took a deep breath trying to focus on breathing and not on the pain radiating from her belly to her back. It lasted just 30 seconds but it seemed like an eternity to her.

* * *

Addison came to examine her at about 8 a.m.

"May I go to the toilette first? I have to pee..." she asked

"Sure" Addison answered.

House accompanied her to the bathroom and supported her in the few steps to go back to bed. He felt her stop suddenly leaning on him.

"Oh God..." she whispered looking at him with scared eyes as a hot liquid ran down her legs "My waters broke..."

* * *

"Breathe ... Lisa... breathe" House said as she squeezed his hand during a particularly painful contraction.

Cuddy was being in labor for about three hours and was 3 inches dilated. By now Addison was well aware that birth was imminent.

"Call Dr. Janson, the neonatologist, and alert the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit" she said pointing to the nurse before returning to deal with Cuddy. Typically the Head of Gynecology and Obstetrics didn't deal of labor...that was a task of midwives, but this time the woman in labor was her best friend so Addison didn't want to leave her alone.

"Dr. Janson is on holiday today" the young nurse said after a minute putting down the receiver.

Addison glared at her and snatched the phone from her hand.

"Janson. It's Montgomery." she said in an authoritative tone "I really don't care if you're already gorging on turkey! I have _OUR_ Dean of Medicine on pre-term labor at her thirty-fourth week of pregnancy and twins coming up with possible respiratory distress. BRING YOUR ASS HERE! NOW! Or... don't come in _MY_ ward tomorrow!" She shouted before turning off abruptly the call.

She took a steadying breath and turned to House.

"He's on his way." She said regaining her professional tone.

* * *

"Come on Lisa ... push..."

Addison watched as she fell exhausted with her back on the bed trying to breathe. She was pale and sweaty and visibly very tired. House was next to her and held her hand stroking her hair. He wasn't the gruff and domineering diagnostician at that time but just an husband and future-father in anxiety.

"I can't take it anymore..." she moaned as her breathing accelerated for the arrival of another strong contraction.

"I know you can... Lisa. C'mon... again ... push!"

Cuddy lifted her back from the bed and squeezed House's hand as she pushed with all her energy.

"Don't stop Lisa... keep pushing...I can see the head ... "

Cuddy held her breath and screamed as she pushed harder and felt a very strong and painful pressure in her perineum.

"Here's the head..." Addison said smiling "C'mon just another little push, Lisa"

This time a small push was enough and she felt the sensation of that little body slipping out of her.

"Here she is" Addison said with a smile holding Madeline in her hands.

Cuddy held her breath and looked at House. Madeline hesitated only a moment before filling the delivery room with her crying. Cuddy felt tears run down her cheeks as House tenderly kissed her lips.

"House" Addison said handing him a pair of scissors and pliers to cut the umbilical cord "Do you want to cut it?"

He cut the cord and looked at his daughter. She was small but rosy as she kept crying. He held her in his arms and lightly touched her smooth cheek kissing her on the forehead as she relaxed in her daddy's arms. He couldn't look away from her and... as she wrapped her tiny hand around his index finger he realized that from that moment she had _wrapped him for life._ So that was the feeling of a father toward his child. He didn't want let her go from his embrace but he knew he have to. He whispered a barely audible " _I love you_ " in her ear before giving her to Janson.

"Apgar score 9" Dr. Janson said as he check her respiratory tract "5.0 lb" he looked at House "Her reflexes are ok. Her breathe is ok. Congratulations!" He said.

He put Madeline again in House's arms. She was now wrapped in a pink sheet.

"I'm going to put her in the incubator a few hours just to be safe." Dr. Janson added "But first of all, House, let her meet her mother or tomorrow I'll have to find a new job!" he said laughing and giving House a pat on the back.

House approached Lisa holding Madeline in his arms. She looked at her and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

 _"See you later, Mommy"_ House said handing Madeline to the nurse.

Cuddy felt the abdominal tension of a new contraction. It was not over yet.

"Come on, Lisa. It will be easier this time" Addison said

"Remind me why I didn't want a C-section ..." she whispered looking at House as her breathing returned to be fast and shallow.

"You did very good" he whispered to her "Madeline is healthy and beautiful. And she's waiting to meet her brother"

 _William was born about an hour later._

"C'mon Lisa ... one last push ... I can see his head"

"I can't ... please... I can't... _William_ please" she whimpered as she felt her forces lacking that last effort

"Lisa, look at me" House said looking into her eyes "just another push and it's over. Just one..."

She felt the contraction coming and pushed again failing to suppress a scream as William slipped out and the pain suddenly vanished. She fell back on the bed while William's crying echoed in the room. House cut the cord again and held his son as he did with Maddy before reluctantly giving him to Janson.

"5.5 lb. Good boy" Janson said before giving him to House. "Congratulations again!" he said as House held his son in his arms and carried him to Lisa.

She smiled and kissed him on his tiny cheek. Again House handed their baby to the nurse.

"Go check on them." Cuddy said with a tired but beautiful smile "I'm fine."

"Ok" he said kissing her gently on the lips "I'll be back soon. Don't go away." he greeted her with a wink.

* * *

Addison was now attending to Cuddy during the expulsion of the placenta.

"Add another vial of oxytocin in her drip" she said pointing to the nurse who was at her side.

She began massaging Cuddy's uterus. She was losing more blood than expected and this wasn't a good sign.

"Bring me her medical folder" she said to the nurse.

The nurse approached and stood with Cuddy's folder opened in front of Dr. Montgomery as she looked for the information she needed. _Blood type: A Rh +._

 _"Half an hour after William's birth. Placenta should have been already expelled"_ Addison thought as she kept to massaging Cuddy's uterus to help it to contract down.

The uterus atony was a complication reliable in twin pregnancies because of the hyper-distension of the uterus. Muscle fibers lose their elasticity and contractility resulting in severe postpartum hemorrhage.

"Damn ..." Addison let out looking at the clock hanging on the wall of the delivery room.

Oxytocin wasn't working.

"A vial of _Nalador_ in 500 ml of saline. In fast intravenous infusion." she said to the nurse

House entered the delivery room door at that precise moment and glanced at Addison.

"I don't feel well ..." Lisa suddenly whispered.

House saw her turn suddenly pale. She was sweaty and her skin was cold. She could hardly keep her eyes open and her breathing was now labored, shallow and fast.

"She's losing too much blood." Addison said "I need four bags of A+ blood! NOW!" She ordered to the nurse that immediately ran out of the room.

House looked at the monitor. Cuddy's blood pressure was falling. She was tachycardic. Her oxygen saturation went down. House felt as if he couldn't move as he saw her on the verge of losing consciousness. He didn't need to ask questions to guess what was going on.

* * *

 _to be continued..._


	35. Thanksgiving - Part 3

_"I don't feel well ..." Lisa suddenly whispered._

 _House saw her turn suddenly pale. She was sweaty and her skin was cold. She could hardly keep her eyes open and her breathing was now labored, shallow and fast._

 _"She's losing too much blood." Addison said "I need four bags of A+ blood! NOW!" She ordered to the nurse that immediately ran out of the room._

 _House looked at the monitor. Cuddy's blood pressure was falling. She was tachycardic. Her oxygen saturation went down. House felt as if he couldn't move as he saw her on the verge of losing consciousness. He didn't need to ask questions to guess what was going on._

* * *

"Come on Lisa ... hold on! ...stay with me!..." Addison said administering her a vial of intravenous dopamine.

"She's going into hypovolemic shock" she said looking at the monitor "WHERE ARE THOSE BLOOD BAGS?!" she shouted across the room by attaching a Ringer Lactate bag on her drip.

She positioned the bed at 45°, in anti-shock position, and put the oxygen mask on Cuddy's nose and mouth.

House felt like being in a parallel dimension and that was a feeling he wasn't used to. He wasn't used to lose his lucidity nor to feel so helpless. Being a doctor was a _disadvantage_ to him in that moment. He knew what was going on, he was perfectly aware of the risks, but he couldn't do anything but keep watching helpless his wife. Seconds seemed like hours... minutes seemed like days ...

The nurse came in with the blood bags awakening him from his trance.

He watched as the blood moved from the bag... along the tube... and into her vein...like in a slow-motion.

He felt completely _out of character_. _He_ , the cold and sarcastic Head of Diagnostics, was now just a worried and scared husband that kept pleading in his mind as the only important thing was her to be safe.

 _"Please Lisa...I can't lose you"_ he thought _"I need you. Our kids need you"_

He lost at least ten years of life in those ten minute in which she kept lying motionless and unconsciousness on that bed.

He check the monitor again and saw his wife's vital signs slowly stabilize, while Cuddy gradually resumed consciousness. _"Thank goodness!"_ he thought... He didn't believe in God but he can't help but thank _Him_ anyway...

Cuddy slowly tried to open her eyes even if she felt still so tired and weak that she could barely open them and kept them open.

"Welcome back..." Addison said smiling and breathing a sigh of relief.

House took a deep breath and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

He held her hand as she looked at him.

"Don't make me ever more a joke like that..." he whispered stroking her face.

* * *

Blythe and Arlene were looking at their grandchildren through the glass while the babies were in their incubators. They both could not hold back tears.

 _I'm a girl_ said the pink card attached to the first incubator. _Madeline Grace House._ _5.0 inches. Born on November 26 at 2:11 p.m._

 _I am a boy_ said the blue card attached to the second incubator. _William James House._ _5.5 inches. Born on November 26 at 2:57 p.m._

* * *

It was almost 8 p.m. when House entered Cuddy's hospital room. She was half-sitting on the bed with her back on the pillows. She had slept a few hours and she felt a bit better even if was still very pale and still felt awfully tired.

"Good evening, _Sleeping Beauty_ " he said approaching to kiss her

"How do you feel?"

"A bit better" she smiled.

"Fine ... because I have a surprise for you" he said heading for the door and coming back with two small cribs.

Cuddy watched as without delay he took Madeline in his arms and put his asleep daughter in her arms before doing the same with William.

"It looks like you did this all your life" she said with a smile

"I found out that they don't break" he said smiling at her

He sat on the bed next to her and look at her as she held their children in her arms.

"You scared me to death!" he said serious

"I'm sorry ..." she said biting her lip

"This time I forgive you, but never do it again" he said with a faint smile before kissing her passionately on the lips.

He looked at her and added on her lips "We've done it ... This is _the best Thanksgiving of my life_."


	36. Epilogue

_[ So.. this is the last chapter of this story._

 _Many thanks to **OldSFfan** **, Neraluz, jkarr, lenasti16, ferny2208, eight-tis-eratai, Abby, Guest, Annamria** for spending a bit of your time to review my story. You gave me the will to go on. __Thanks to everyone who entered my story a favorite!_ _And thanks even to all those people who have just read this story... I know you are a lot all around the world!_

 _I'm going to write other stories (Sara, I really trust in your help!) so ... **see you soon**!]_

* * *

Chapter 36 - Epilogue -

* * *

"Happy first birthday" Wilson said while House opened the front door holding both Madeline and William in his arms.

Madeline laughed clapping her tiny hands and William greeted him with a big smile. They adored Uncle Wilson. Maddy had big ocean-blue eyes like her father and soft light brown curls. Will had the same blue-gray eyes of his mother. They couldn't even walk but could crawl very fast through all the house.

"Where's Addison?" He asked peering over Wilson's shoulder "I knew that the new Mrs. Wilson would have run away after less than two months since marriage"

Wilson looked at him and kept to tickle Maddy as House saw Addison coming along with Henry. They both held in their arms a gift bag. She smiled passing near him and stopping to caress Madeline and William.

"No" she said reading House's smile "I didn't dump him yet" she said smiling and giving Wilson a little pat on his ass.

Blythe and Thomas had arrived the day before from West Virginia and also Arlene had put aside her sarcasm to enjoy Thanksgiving with her family. Arlene liked House more than she had initially thought and she incredibly liked bickering with him.

"Like mother like daughter" House said embracing and kissing Arlene affectionately on the cheek after his last joke.

"Dinner is ready" Cuddy said looking out from the kitchen.

She was in great shape. Actually she had taken less than a month to get back in her jeans. House looked at her as she walked through the room in her red sheath dress that highlighted her perfect curves.

"No one would ever say that you gave birth to twins, Honey" Blythe said "You're really beautiful"

"Thanks" she said with a smile feeling her cheeks blush at that compliment

"Don't thank her" House said with a mischievous smile "Thank your husband that keeps you very fit ... at least twice a day"

She hit him on his arm with a light slap and then hugged and kissed him tenderly on the lips taking him by hand to go and sit in the dining room.

"I hope the turkey is well cooked" House said starting to slice it "To cook it Lisa needed almost the same hours that it took for her labor last year" he said laughing and looking at Cuddy.

"Right... in fact give birth was _easier_ " she laughed

"Let's make a toast?" Cuddy said with a smile "This year I really have many reasons to thank for" she smiled looking at Madeline and William sat in their highchairs and at Rachel that sat at the table between House and Henry.

She poured the white wine into the glasses and saw the look that Addison exchanged with Wilson.

"Is there _something_ you two didn't tell us?" she asked with a smile looking mischievously at Addison and James

Addison smiled.

"Just that you will need to add a seat at this table for the next Thanksgiving" she said turning to kiss James affectionately on the lips

* * *

"They're finally asleep... all the three of them" House said entering their bedroom.

Cuddy turned to get help from House to unzip her dress.

"You know you can't just do _this_ without consequences, don't you?" He said kissing her neck while her dress slid to the ground.

He looked at her in the mirror.

"And I love _this_ red underwear..." he said stroking her hip.

She was wearing red lace bra and panties. Her abdomen was perfectly flat and toned and emphasized the roundness of her breasts. She turned toward him and kissed him on the lips.

"Well, Mrs. House... do you know I didn't forgive you for _that_ Thanksgiving of three years ago yet, don't you?" he said stroking her back and rubbing her ass.

She gave him a mischievous look.

"Then... I really have to make amends for _that_ mistake" she said kissing him deeply on the mouth.

* * *

 _ **The End**_


End file.
